Family Matters
by AnimeFan299110
Summary: Eri now lives with Class 1-A with Midoriya as her temporary guardian. Precious moments to come. IzuOcha, KiriMina, ShoMo, and other ships to come. Rated T for Bakugou and some angst/drama. Credit to Mika@Green-tea-is-love on Tumblr for the amazing and adorable cover.
1. Eri Meets Class 1-A

**Hi guys, hope you all had a great holiday season. So, as per usual, I do not own Boku no Hero Academia, its characters, or its locations. They are all owned by Kohei Horikoshi, Jump Comics, and Funimation. Now...here is Family Matters!**

* * *

"Well, here it is," Izuku Midoriya said to the six-year-old girl who was holding his right hand. "Your new home."

It had been four weeks since Eri's rescue from the Eight Precepts of Death. After all the heroes had recovered from the battle, the big question that came up among the teachers was what to do with Eri. After about an hour of thorough deliberation, everyone agreed that she should stay at UA in order to keep her safe from any possible future attacks. However, this posed another question: Where should she stay? Many teachers offered to let her stay with them; even Mirio offered to let her stay with him and the other Big Three members. However, during her time in the infirmary, the Headmaster noticed that Eri was the most calm and happy whenever Midoriya came to visit her. He then decided that for the time being, Eri would live with Class 2-A, Midoriya acting as her temporary guardian.

Eri looked up at Class 2-A's dormitory and was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer size of it. The build was five stories tall and stood proud, a glistening tower of brick and glass. It was completely different from the gloomy, dark, and secluded quarters she was used to. At a small tug on her hand, she walked with Midoriya toward the glass door leading into the dormitory - and to her new life.

As soon as she entered the building, the first thing she saw was a kitchen. There was a refrigerator, a stove, a sink, a microwave, and other appliances that she knew existed, but had never used before herself. Sitting around a table almost as long as the room itself was a group of people around the same age as Midoriya. Some looked like ordinary people while others had certain features that made them stand out from the others. As soon as they saw her and Midoriya, they all rose from their chairs, standing awkwardly for a second.

Suddenly, a girl with pink hair and pink skin rushed forward toward Eri, bending a bit to Eri's height and with a huge smile on her face. "Well, aren't you just the cutest thing!" she exclaimed. This sudden move scared Eri and she hid behind Midoriya's legs and sobbed softly into them.

"Mina!" she peeked an eye around the fabric in her hands to realize this was coming from a floating set of clothes, "you scared her!" Eri buried her face deeper into Midoriya's legs.

"It's okay, Eri! We're Deku's friends." Eri loosened her grip on Midoriya's pant legs just a little, the soft, friendly voice making her curious. She peeked out from behind Midoriya to see a girl with chestnut hair and rosy cheeks kneeling a few feet away, holding out her hand. As Eri looked at her, she could have sworn the girl looked vaguely familiar. "We won't hurt you," the girl said reassuringly. "We promise." Slowly and after a few moments of thought, Eri decided to make her way towards the girl, stepping hesitantly until she placed her hand in the brunette's. The girl's hand was soft and smooth, which gave Eri a strange sense of relief and calm.

The girl pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and gently dabbed the tears from Eri's face. "There, there," she said softly, still smiling reassuringly. "It's alright. My name's Uraraka, by the way." Slowly, she stood up and held out her hand. "Would you like to meet everyone else?" Eri glanced behind Uraraka, biting her lip as her eyebrows furrowed. Quickly, as if the sight of them burned, her eyes flew to the ground between them. A tiny shake of her head was all the response she gave. "That's okay. Maybe later," Uraraka said, telling her classmates just as much as she was telling Eri. "Would you like to see the rest of your new home?" Eri nodded and took Uraraka's hand. They made their way up a flight of stairs, Midoriya following right behind them. As they continued, Eri remembered where she had seen Uraraka before: She was the girl who had helped Midoriya defeat Chisaki and then rescue her. When she realized this, Eri smiled a little at Uraraka who returned it in kind.

Soon, the three of them stopped in front of an unassuming wooden door. Midoriya turned the knob and opened it to reveal a room that was filled to the brim with action figures, posters, bed sheets, and pictures of a muscular man with blond hair and a huge smile.

"This is your room; you'll be sharing it with me," Midoriya said as he, Uraraka, and Eri walked inside to look around. Eri then noticed a little bed that had blankets, a comforter, and a nice fluffy pillow on the opposite side of the room from the bed that was obviously Midoriya's. "And that is your bed," Midoriya said when he noticed her looking at it questioningly.

Eri then looked up at one of the posters with the blond man. She pointed at it and asked, "Grandpa Might?"

Both Midoriya and Uraraka felt their hearts skip a few beats at how cute she was. To them, hearing this six-year-old calling All Might "Grandpa Might" was too adorable. "Yes, Eri," Midoriya smiled. "That's Grandpa Might."

Eri's gaze then moved to the wooden dresser. Following her gaze, Uraraka opened up the bottom drawer. It was filled with t-shirts, shorts, pants, undies, dresses, and a whole array of other clothing, all Eri's size. Eri's eyes widened at the sight. "While you were in the hospital, the other girls and I went out shopping to get you some new clothes," Uraraka said with a smile. "Figured you'd want to wear something different than that old rag. Here," she said, pulling out a purple tank top, "let's try this one on!"

"I'll just go ahead and… heh," Midoriya squeaked as he started turning pink and pointing at the door. As he left the room and closed the door to give the two girls some privacy, he leaned against the wall and couldn't help but think about Mirio and Sir Nighteye.

Mirio… the hero who wanted to reach for the stars and be as great as All Might. The hero who saw Midoriya as a little brother and saw potential in him to be a great hero. The hero who sacrificed his hopes, dreams, and powers in order to protect Eri from Overhaul and his gang. Midoriya could still remember his words as he sat in his hospital bed. "The point is, I'm just fine! I've got Nighteye's foresight on my side," he said with his signature smile. "So just smile already, would'ja?!"

'Sir Nighteye…' he thought. Looking back, Midoriya couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart for the hero. The man died trying to protect Midoriya and Eri from Overhaul. He was the hero who, at first, had felt that Midoriya was unworthy of handling One for All and that All Might should have given it to Mirio. In the end, however, he accepted Midoriya as the one who would bring great changes to the world with his Quirk. "Keep smiling," Midoriya could still hear him say as he lay on his deathbed. "Society needs smiles, laughs, and energy... to bring about a brighter future." Midoriya couldn't help but smile himself at the memory of those two men; after everything they did for him and Eri, he figured that raising her and following his dream was the least he could do for his fellow intern and his former supervisor.

At that moment, the door to his room opened slightly to reveal Uraraka with a huge smile on her face. "We're ready!" she said.

Midoriya walked in and didn't have to fake the huge smile that covered his face at what he saw. Eri was now wearing the purple tank top over a white shirt. She was also wearing purple pants and black shoes that had been polished and shined. Midoriya picked up his mirror and pivoted it so that she could get a view of her new outfit. "So, what do you think?" he asked as he got down on his knees behind her. For a few seconds, there was absolute silence as Eri looked at herself in the mirror. "Eri?" Midoriya asked in concern when she didn't say anything.

Just then, Eri ducked her head and started sobbing. "Eri," Uraraka said nervously, "i-if you don't like it, w-w-we can retur-" She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence, because at that moment, Eri had wrapped each arm around Midoriya's and Uraraka's necks and continued to sob into their shoulders.

"T-T-Thank y-y-you." She said between sobs. "T-T-Thank you b-b-both so much." Midoriya and Uraraka both looked at her, smiled softly, and wrapped an arm around her to comfort her. They stayed like this for what seemed like an eternity, until they were certain that Eri had stopped crying.

Uraraka then took out her kerchief and dabbed at Eri's eyes to wipe away her tears. "Now then," she said as she and Midoriya stood up and each extended a hand to Eri, "want to meet the rest of the students?" Eri nodded vigorously and, taking both hands, walked down to the living room with the two friends by her sides.

* * *

"Ah, there you three are." Iida said as he and the rest of Class 2-A noticed Midoriya, Uraraka, and Eri coming down the stairs. Upon seeing Eri in her new clothes, many of the girls complimented her, saying how pretty she looked, to which she smiled and giggled. Eri, Uraraka, and Midoriya then sat down on the couch as the chatter died down. "We were just discussing some new rules that must be established now that Eri will be staying with us," Iida said. "So far, we have decided that all of us will assist in taking care of her and teach her various things, such as table manners, how to handle being out in crowds, how to dress, etc. In terms of where she will sleep, it has already been confirmed that she will stay in Midoriya's room as he is her temporary guardian." At this, Midoriya and Uraraka both nodded their approval. "I believe the next step is to create some rules. First, no perverted actions or words are to be used around Eri." He took a moment to shoot a glance at Mineta, the class pervert.

"Oh sure," Mineta said annoyingly, "Like I'm the one who's going to scar her for life."

"Second," Iida said as though he didn't hear Mineta, "No profanities or curse words are to be said when Eri is in the same room."

"You hear that, Bakugou?" Kaminari asked, shooting a smug grin at the explosion user. "Gotta cut back on the swearing for Eri."

"You shut your fu-" Bakugou shouted, but stopped when he saw Eri looking at him. "-your fu-fu-fudging mouth, Kaminari." Bakugou finished, struggling to get the words out through his clenched teeth.

'Oh, this is going to be good.' Kaminari thought with delight.

"Third, no antagonizing someone just so they slip up and curse in front of Eri." Iida said.

"Whelp, there goes the fun in the second rule." Kaminari said sadly, while Bakugou returned the smug grin.

"And finally," Iida concluded, "We must be sure to spend some time with Eri. We may be training to be heroes, but we also have to remember that Eri will need someone to play with her and teach her to have fun. Everyone agree on these rules?" All the students nodded their heads in agreement; all of these rules seemed fair and reasonable.

* * *

The rest of the day consisted of teaching Eri manners like eating properly, saying "Please" and "Thank you", and asking politely for what she wanted. To everyone's surprise, Eri turned out to be an extremely fast learner. After being taught how to use a fork, spoon, and knife to eat her food instead of eating with her hands, she immediately picked up on it.

Soon, the clock in the living room read 8 o'clock at night. Eri suddenly yawned. "Guess it's time for you to go to bed," Midoriya said as he lifted Eri up and began to carry her up the stairs to his bedroom. Uraraka soon followed behind them, the rest of the class waving goodnight.

When they reached Midoriya's room, he let Eri and Uraraka in and closed the door to give Uraraka time to change Eri. When they were finished, Eri was in a simple pink nightgown. Uraraka then took her to the bathroom to help her brush her teeth. Soon, Eri was nestled in her little bed with Midoriya and Uraraka kneeling down next to her. "We got you this little nightlight," Uraraka said as she showed Eri a nightlight that had stars engraved into it. "That way," she continued, "if you ever need to get up at night or have trouble sleeping, the light will always be there to either guide or calm you."

Eri just sat in her bed silently, eyes following her fingers as she traced the design on the blanket. Then, in a voice so quiet that they almost missed it, she said, "This is the first time I ever had one."

"A nightlight?" Midoriya asked curiously.

Eri shook her head. "A bed."

Hearing this, Uraraka and Midoriya both looked at each other with concern. Sometime during the day, they had forgotten that Eri never had the best childhood. Being held prisoner by a group of villains, experimented on every day, abused by a man who had no regard for the lives of others…it was a life no person should ever have, let alone a child.

Seeing Eri's saddened look, Midoriya placed a hand on Eri's head. "I know you didn't have the best life, Eri." He said in a soft voice. "Heck, nobody should have gone what you went through. But it's going to be alright. Overhaul is gone, you've been freed, and you are surrounded by people who love and care for you."

"Even you two?" Eri asked both students.

"Even us, Eri." Uraraka said with a smile. "We will care for you no matter what happens. You'll finally be able to live your life like you should. And we promise that we will never treat you like they did."

"You promise?" Eri asked.

Uraraka stuck out her pinkie finger and said "Pinkie promise." Eri locked her own pinkie with Uraraka's and gave the gravity user a small smile.

"Welp," Midoriya said, "It's time for bed. Goodnight, Eri." He leaned forward and hugged the little girl.

"Goodnight, Papa," Eri said.

"Goodnight, Eri," Uraraka said as she too leaned in and hugged her.

"Goodnight, Mama," Eri responded sleepily. And with that, she laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes.

As soon as they were sure she was asleep, Uraraka and Midoriya plugged the nightlight into the wall, turned off the lights, and slowly closed the door so as not to wake her as they stepped into the hall.

"Welp, it's been a long day, Deku," Uraraka said as she yawned. "I think I'm gonna go to bed as well. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Uraraka," Midoriya said as the two students went their separate ways, he going downstairs to chat with the rest of the students and she going upstairs to her own room.

As Uraraka walked upstairs, she couldn't help but smile at how happy Eri seemed to finally have a place where she would be loved. She wouldn't have to worry about anyone hurting her or experimenting on her for their own personal gain. She would be able to live a happy life with Class 2-A, her papa, and her… Uraraka stopped dead in her tracks as she remembered what Eri had called her. She instantly broke out into a cold sweat. 'D-D-Did s-s-she just c-c-call m-m-me…MAMA?!' she screamed internally.

* * *

 **Well guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Family Matters. After much deliberation, I have decided that instead of being a one-shot, Family Matters will be a multi-chapter story! There are too many important moments in Eri's new life that can not be put into a one-shot. So be on the lookout for the next chapter! Don't forget to Favorite, Comment and Follow to get the next chapter.**

 **Until then, this is AnimeFan299110 telling you all to go beyond...PLUS ULTRA!**


	2. A Week Later

**Hey guys, this is AnimeFan299110 with another great chapter to Family Matters. I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to publish, but there were a few setbacks (i.e., three Nor'easters that cut off my power, recovery from thyroid removal surgery, and getting back into the swing of things in terms of my personal life). But I'm doing well and glad to be posting again. Also, I do not own My Hero Academia, it's characters, or locations. Nor do I own the song "You'll Be In My Heart". That is owned by Disney and Phil Collins. Without further ado…HERE IS CHAPTER TWO OF FAMILY MATTERS!**

* * *

"ET-ET-ET-ET" The alarm clock in Midoriya's room continued to blare loudly until a hand slammed down on it. Groggily, Izuku Midoriya rose up and stared at the clock to see that it was 6:05 in the morning. Slowly, he got out of bed and made his way to the little girl sleeping in the bed next to his.

"Eri," Midoriya said as he gently shook her shoulder. "It's time to get up."

"Five more minutes, Papa." Eri groaned as she shook off Midoriya's hand. Instead of letting her rest, Midoriya picked her up and exited the room with Eri's head resting on his shoulder. Soon they found themselves in the living room and the kitchen, where they were greeted by a shark-toothed, red-haired student.

"Morning, Midoriya." Kirishima said as he saw the two. "Morning, Eri."

"Morning, Shima." Eri said as she rubbed her right eye sleepily. Both Midoriya and Kirishima had to smile. Even though the two of them tried to explain Kirishima's real name a few days ago, they were shot down by Mina, who insisted that Eri calling Kirishima "Shima" was just too adorable.

"Eggs this morning?" Kirishima asked, to which Eri nodded her head. Kirishima cracked his knuckles as he began to make her breakfast, a tradition that began almost immediately when Eri came to live with them a week ago. Soon, Eri was presented with a plate of scrambled eggs, toast with strawberry jam, a peeled banana, and a glass of milk. Eri was about to pick up her chopsticks and begin eating when Midoriya stopped her.

"Eri," Midoriya said, "What do we say before we begin eating?"

"Oh!" Eri said when she realized her mistake. She placed the chopsticks down, clapped her hands together, and said "Itadakimasu!" before digging in. Soon, others began to emerge from their dorms, each greeting Eri with a smile which she returned in kind.

"Morning, Eri." Uraraka said sleepily as she made her way to the kitchen.

"Morning, Mama." Eri replied with a smile. Behind her, Uraraka could hear the snickers of Mina, Hanta, and Tooru as they heard Eri address the gravity user with affection. Uraraka groaned to herself as she remembered what she had told them a week ago.

* * *

 _"Uraraka?" Mina asked in concern when she and the rest of the students saw Uraraka's beet-red face after she had tucked Eri to bed. "What's the matter?"_

 _"Eri," Uraraka said quietly. "She…she called Deku 'Papa'."_

 _"Makes sense," Mashirao said as the rest of the students nodded. "Considering the fact that he's been made her temporary guardian, it's natural that she sees him like a father-figure."_

 _"So you're a wreck because Eri called Midoriya 'Papa'?" Kyouka asked._

 _"No, it's what she said next," Uraraka replied. "She…she called me…'Mama'."_

 _The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Every one of the students were looking at Uraraka with dumbfounded faces. Even Bakugou took a moment to look up from his history book to look at the gravity user._

 _"OH MY GOD, SHE CALLED YOU 'MAMA'?!" Mina and Tooru exclaimed as they both got in Uraraka's face and waved their arms up and down excitedly. "THAT IS SO STINKING CUTE!"_

 _"Shhhh" Uraraka said as she put a finger to her lips and pointed up the stairs. "Eri's sleeping. And yes, she did call me her Mama."_

 _"That could also make sense." Iida said as he was snapped out of his shock by Mina and Tooru._

 _"What do you mean, Iida?" Tsuyu asked as she cocked her head to one side in confusion._

 _"Eri never really had a mother figure in her life," Iida tried to explain. "Since you were the first female that showed her kindness when she arrived here, it's only natural that she sees you as the mother she never had. I would suggest that you play along with being called 'Mama' for the time being, Uraraka."_

 _"Alright, Iida," Uraraka said with a sigh. "I'll go along with it if it helps her have a sense of a normal life."_

 _"So…" Mina said with a sly grin, "When's the wedding?"_

 _"MINA!" Uraraka exclaimed in shock as her cheeks reddened._

* * *

"Uraraka?" Midoriya asked in concern.

"Yes?" Uraraka asked as she was snapped out of her thoughts.

"Do you mind helping Eri get ready for the day?" Midoriya asked as Eri made her over.

"Of…of course!" she said as she took Eri upstairs to shower, brush her teeth, and change her clothes. After 20 minutes, both girls came downstairs, ready for the day ahead of them.

"You ready to go?" Tsuyu asked when she saw Eri.

"Yep!" Eri exclaimed as she took Tsuyu's hand and waved at Uraraka and Midoriya. "Bye, Mama. Bye, Papa."

"See you later, Eri," Midoriya said as he made his way up the stairs to his own dorm room.

"Have a great day at school," Uraraka smiled as she waved back.

As soon as they were outside, Tsuyu knelt down on the ground so that Eri could climb on her back and wrap her arms around Tsuyu's neck. "You all set?" Tsuyu asked, to which Eri nodded. "Alright then, hold on tight." And with that, Tsuyu leapt into the air and landed like a frog with Eri clinging tightly to her. After 30 minutes of leaping through the air, they stopped at a shiny, glass building where other kids who were about the same age as Eri were talking to each other.

Last week, the teachers decided that Eri would need to attend school in order to receive her education as well as be preoccupied while the rest of Class 1-A attended their own studies. Fortunately for Eri, due to the League of Villains' ambush at the summer retreat, UA had decided to establish an elementary and middle school on campus for the younger siblings of the high students that attended.

"Hi, sis." A small voice- similar to Tsuyu's - called out. Both Tsuyu and Eri turned to see Tsuyu's little sister, Satsuki, walk up to them.

"Hi, Satsuki," Tsuyu responded with a smile.

"Morning, Eri," Satsuki said as she noticed the girl standing next to her sister. When Eri first started attending school, she ended up eating alone during lunch since she didn't know anyone else. Satsuki was kind enough to sit next her. Ever since then, the two of them were inseparable, spending time together doing crafts, talking about who the coolest hero was, what they hope to be when they grow up, and many other things.

"Morning, Satsuki!" Eri said with a smile.

"I'll see you both after school, okay?" Tsuyu asked as the school bell rang.

"Okay, bye!" Both girls said as they watched Tsuyu leap toward the main campus building.

* * *

"So let me get this straight." Itsuka from Class 2-B said as she, Monoma, Pony, Tetsutetsu, and Ibara crowded around Midoriya, Uraraka, Kirishima, and Tsuyu's table in the cafeteria. "You four, your supervisors, and the Big Three fought against Overhaul and the Eight Precepts of Death and won?!"

"Pretty much," Uraraka said.

"That's so cool!" Pony exclaimed. "Pity you all came out alive and well."

"Dammit, Monoma! What did I tell you about teaching her to say that garbage?" Itsuka said as she used her quirk to slap the Copy user upside his head.

"KIRISHIMA!" Tetsutetsu cried out. "I ALSO HEARD YOU HELD YOUR OWN AGAINST TWO OF THEM! THAT'S ONE OF THE MANLIEST THINGS I EVER HEARD!"

"DAMN RIGHT!" Kirishima responded back as the two Hardening users fist-pumped each other.

'If they were in a Michael Cay movie, I swear there would be explosions around them.' Mina thought as she sweatdropped.

"There have also been reports that you save a little girl and that she's now living with you." Ibara said in her monotone voice. "Is that true?"

"Yep!" Mina chimed in. "Her name is Eri, she's six years old, and she is just the cutest little thing! Here, I've got a photo of her." She pulled out her phone and showed it to the Class 2-B students. In the picture was Eri being held in Uraraka's arms while Midoriya was standing next to them.

"Awww!" Itsuka cooed. "You're right; she's so cute! And she seems to be very happy."

"And get this," Mina said with a sly grin on her face. "Eri has taken to calling Midoriya and Uraraka her 'Papa' and 'Mama'."

The Class 2-B students all looked at Midoriya and Uraraka with interest and confusion. Even Ibara's poker face faltered as she had a look of surprise. "Is…is that true?" Itsuka asked.

"Well…yes," Midoriya replied, his face a slight pink. "But I'm guessing that it's due to the fact that Eri's never had a real mother or father figure in her life. And since I was made her temporary guardian, it would be natural for her to call me her father."

"And Iida explained to me that since I was the first female that showed her kindness when she arrived here, it would make sense for her to call me her mother." Uraraka said with a face that was just as pink as Midoriya's.

"Well, if you morons are her parents," Monoma chimed in with his signature smug grin, "then that little brat is going to have a pretty miserable li-HNGGG!" He didn't get the chance to finish as his face had just contorted in pain. The other students looked down and saw why: Uraraka had taken the opportunity to plant the heel of her shoe right onto Monoma's toes. Even though she had an innocent smile on her face, the others could sense an aura of menace surrounding her as she looked up at Monoma.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't quite hear you." Uraraka twisted her heel back and forth. "What were you saying about Eri?"

"I…said…" Monoma struggled to speak through the pain of his toes being crushed, "that…you're both…very lucky to have her…and she'll be…very happy here."

"Thanks, that means a lot." Uraraka said as she lifted her foot.

"Anyway," Itsuka said, still in shock after what just happened. "I gotta say, you and Midoriya look so happy together, Uraraka. From what the picture shows, you two could be an actual couple."

"W-W-W-WHAT?!" Midoriya and Uraraka shouted in unison. At this, they soon swiveled their heads to look at each other. Both of their faces turned brick-red and their gazes fell on their food. They could hear a joyful giggle from Mina as she saw the two students avert each other's gazes.

"Yeah, a couple!" Pony chimed in. "A shitty one, at that."

"MONOMA!"

* * *

"So, how's living with Sis going?" Satsuki asked Eri. It was lunchtime and the two girls were sitting in their usual spot.

"It's great!" Eri said excitedly. "Everyone's been really nice to me, and Mama and Papa are awesome."

"Don't make me laugh," a little girl said snidely as approached Eri and Satsuki's table. The girl was Miki Monoma, cousin to Neito Monoma. Like Neito, she was a Copy user and was the queen bitch in her grade. "As if anyone could care about a poor, pathetic girl like you. If those two morons that you call your parents had any brains at all, they would ditched you at the nearest orphana-" She didn't get a chance to finish, for a boy behind her had struck her upside the head, knocking her out.

"Sorry about that," the boy said as he glanced at Eri and Satsuki. "I'm pretty sure there's a hole where her heart should be. The name's Akihito Kendo, by the way." He added as he extended his hand with a smile. "Itsuka Kendo from Class 2-B is my cousin."

"I'm Satsuki Asui, little sister to Tsuyu Asui from Class 1-A." Satsuki said. "And this is Eri; she's living with my sister and Class 1-A."

"Hi." Eri said simply, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Listen Eri," Akihito said. "Don't let what Miki said to you get you down. From what I've heard from others, it sounds like Midoriya and Uraraka do care about you and they would never abandon you."

"Thanks, Akihito," Eri said with a smile.

* * *

"Hey sis!" Satsuki called out to Tsuyu as the students were being dismissed.

"Hi Satsuki. Hi Eri." Tsuyu smiled. "How was school?"

"Great!" both girls said in unison.

"Good to hear that," Tsuyu said. "Ready to head home, Eri?"

"Yep! See you tomorrow, Satsuki," Eri said to her friend.

"See you tomorrow, Eri," Satsuki said, waving as the high schooler and her friend leaped their way back to the 1-A dormitory.

* * *

"And then in science, we learned about the solar system and about all of the planets," Eri said excitedly to Midoriya and Uraraka. The high school students had just returned to their dormitory to find an overjoyed Eri waiting for them. All of them greeted her with a smile.

"That's sounds great, Eri." Uraraka said as she smiled at the little girl. "So you're learning a lot in school?"

"Yep." Eri said. "And I've made a few friends, like Satsuki, Big Sis Tsu's little sister." Unbeknownst to Eri, Tsuyu had heard everything and blushed at the prospect of being called "Big Sis".

"Kacchan!" Eri said as she saw the hothead of Class 1-A enter the room. She walked over and looked up at him. He, in turn, looked down on her with his usual angry expression. "I heard that your quirk is to make explosions out of your hands, right?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Bakugou asked with a scowl.

"Could you show it to me, pleeeeeeeeeeeease?" Eri asked as she gave Bakugou puppy-dog eyes.

Bakugou looked at the little girl and felt his heart skip a few beats. 'Don't you give in.' he thought to himself. 'Don't you fucking give in!' After a minute of self-control…."Fine!" He said. "But I'm only gonna do it once."

"Yay!" Eri cried.

"Hey Four-Eyes!" Bakugou called out to Iida. "We got anything useless that needs to be destroyed?"

"You should learn to respect your fellow classmates and call them by their proper names, Bakugou," Iida said in annoyance to which Bakugou snorted. "And yes, I have just the thing." Iida pulled out a stack of magazines tied together with twine and tossed it to Bakugou. Bakugou saw that they all had various naked women on the covers. "I confiscated them from Mineta," Iida said. "I was planning on throwing them away where he wouldn't find them, but your way sounds better."

"NO!" Mineta cried as he was being held back by Mashirao and Hanta. "I'll do anything, Bakugou. Anything! Just don't do it!" Ignoring Mineta's pleas, Bakugou clenched the magazines and a loud "Boom!" came from his hand. Instantly, the magazines burst into flames until they were nothing but ashes. "NOOOOOOO!" Mineta cried out in anguish. "MY BABIES! YOU MURDERED MY BABIES!"

"Wow, Kacchan!" Eri said in amazement. "That's an awesome quirk!"

"I know," Bakugou said with a smirk. "My quirk's totally awesome." He took the opportunity to shoot a smug grin at Midoriya. 'You hear that, Deku?' He thought to himself. 'Even she thinks that my quirk is better than your shitty one.'

"I mean, it's not as cool as Papa's, but still…" Eri said with a smile.

"Not…as cool…as…DEKU'S?!" Bakugou said through gritted teeth. Soon, his hands began to clench and explode in anger as a few veins along his forehead started to throb.

"He's gonna blow!" Mina cried out in terror.

"Everyone, take cover!" Mineta said as he dove underneath the coffee table. Hanta used his tape quirk to grab Eri and reeled her away from Bakugou. He then handed her to Uraraka, who leaped over the couch and hid behind it with Midoriya.

"Stay close to us, Eri." Midoriya instructed, to which she nodded. The rest of the students hid behind or underneath whatever furniture they could find and closed their eyes, waiting for the inevitable. After a few minutes, however, nothing happened. The students slowly peeked out from their hiding places to see any damage.

What they saw caused all of them to go bug-eyed. Bakugou was just standing where he was with a blank look on his face. His eyebrows had even lost their crossness.

"…What's up with Bakugou?" Shoto whispered to no one in particular.

"I've seen this before." Midoriya said. "Kacchan gets so angry he just stops moving altogether. It's like some higher deity hit the pause button on him. And when he's like that," he added as his face paled, "he becomes severely unstable."

Rising to his feet, Kirishima moved slowly toward Bakugou so as to not trigger him. "B-Bakugou?" He asked as soon as he was ten feet away. "Are…are you oka-"

"If I don't end up destroying something or someone within the next five minutes," Bakugou interrupted in a monotonous voice that held no emotion, "this entire building will look like someone dropped a nuke on it."

At that precise moment, Kaminari entered the building. "Hey guys," he said, unaware of what had happened. "What did I-"

"Oh, look at that!" Bakugou said as his gaze turned to Kaminari. "Continuity!"

'Aw, crap!' Kaminari thought as he ran outside with a murderously smiling Bakugou hot on his tail.

The next thing the other 1-A students heard was the sounds of explosions, Bakugou's maniacal laughter, and Kaminari's screams of terror. "Papa, Mama," Eri said with a pale face, "There's something else I've learned today."

"What's that, sweetie?" Uraraka asked as she jumped at the sound of an explosion that was sixty feet away.

"Never talk to Kacchan about whose quirk is cooler," Eri stated.

"Smart lesson to learn, Eri," Midoriya squeaked.

* * *

After the Kaminari-Bakugou incident, the rest of the evening continued on as it normally did. The students were doing their homework; some together, some on their own. Bakugou came back after ten minutes with a Bakugou-style smile on his face. Kaminari came soon after looking like he had sat on the edge of a smoke stack. Everything seemed to be back to normal until….

"Eri, come back here!" Iida's voice called out. Midoriya and Uraraka turned to see Iida chasing Eri, who had a chocolate chip cookie in each hand. "Eri," Iida said as she giggled, "you need to eat the healthy meal I've made for you before you go and consume non-nutritional food!" Suddenly, a long piece of tape appeared in front of Eri that connected to the couch. Eri quickly jumped over the tape and continued to book it.

Iida, however, was not so fortunate. As soon as his foot made contact with the tape, he keeled forward and landed flat on his face. "Sorry Iida!" Hanta called out. As Eri covered her mouth to giggle, she felt five fingertips touch her on the head. The next thing she knew, she was floating in the air. Uraraka stood facing her with her arms crossed.

"Eri," Uraraka said in a stern yet friendly voice, "Iida's right. I know that cookies taste delicious, but you have to have a steady diet of nutritional foods. You can't just eat sweets all the time. Now," she continued as she extended her hand out, "please hand over the cookies and eat the dinner Iida prepped for you. If you're good, you can ONE cookie for dessert. Okay?"

"Okay." Eri said disappointedly as she handed the cookies to Uraraka while she was upside-down. Uraraka smiled and gave Eri a kiss on the cheek, causing her to giggle. She then righted and released her, Eri to landing on her feet.

"You okay Iida?" Midoriya asked as his friend rose and shook his head vigorously.

"I'm fine, thanks," Iida said. "Just a little dazed, that's all. Come now Eri," he said as he extended his hand. "Time for dinner."

* * *

After dinner, Uraraka brought Eri upstairs to bathe, brush her teeth and change into her nightgown. Afterwards, Eri returned and Momo read her a book. Mineta tried to teach her how to play poker, but Iida stopped him, scolding him for trying to teach a six-year-old how to gamble. At around 8 o'clock, Eri was found sleeping on the couch by Midoriya and Uraraka. Smiling, Uraraka careful picked her up and she and Midoriya made their way up the stairs to his room.

"We'll be down in a bit, guys," Midoriya said to the others, to which they nodded in response.

"Don't stay up there too long, lovebirds." Mina said with a sly grin on her face.

"W-W-WHAT?!" Midoriya and Uraraka both said in unison as their faces reddened. They continued up the stairs avoiding each other's gazes until they reached Midoriya's room. When they entered, Uraraka carefully placed Eri on her bed while Midoriya covered her up with a blanket.

As the two began to leave, they suddenly heard a tiny voice say, "Mama…Papa…wait." Both students looked at each other in confusion, then back at Eri. "Wait…" she said, this time sounding desperate and worried, "wait for me."

Midoriya flicked the light switch on and he and Uraraka both saw Eri lying on her bed with her eyes closed and a look of desperation on her face. "E…Eri?" Midoriya asked.

"Come back." Eri said as her lips began to quiver. "Don't leave."

"Eri…" Uraraka said, now sounding desperate herself, as she gently shook Eri's shoulder. "Eri, sweetie, wake up."

"Mama!" Eri yelled out as tears began to flow out of her closed eyes. "Papa! Come back!"

"Eri!" Midoriya said as he too began to shake Eri. "Listen to us. What you're seeing isn't real! Wake up!"

Almost instantly, Eri's eyes snapped open as she sat upright. She breathed heavily as her eyes swiveled from side to side so that she could recognize her surroundings. They soon turned to look at Uraraka and Midoriya, who were both torn between worry and confusion. "E…Eri?" Midoriya asked. Eri's lips quivered as she looked at the two students. The next second, she had flung herself at Uraraka and began to sob into her chest. "Eri," Midoriya said worriedly, "What happened?"

"I-I-I was in th-this dark r-r-room." Eri said as she choked through her sobs. "I saw you and M-M-Mama walking away f-f-from me. I t-tried to catch up to y-you, but I couldn't r-r-reach you. I then called out to you, b-but you couldn't hear m-me. Then you both d-disappeared and I tried calling out to you over and over and…and…" Eri couldn't finished her sentence as she had resumed to sobbing into Uraraka's chest.

Uraraka responded by giving a small smile and wrapping her arms around Eri for comfort. "Shhh," she said softly, "It's okay, Eri. We're here. You just had a bad dream, that's all."

"But…" Eri said as she sniffled a bit and looked up at the Gravity user. "But it seemed so real."

"Believe us, Eri," Midoriya said, "We will never leave you, not in a million years."

Eri nodded, though she still looked sad. Seeing this, Uraraka picked her and sat down on the bed while carrying Eri. She then began to rub her back and hum softly. Then she began to softly sing:

 _Come stop your crying_

 _It will be all right_

 _Just take my hand_

 _Hold it tight_

 _I will protect you_

 _from all around you_

 _I will be here_

 _Don't you cry_

Hearing Uraraka's soft voice made Eri smile a little. Midoriya's face, on the other hand, glowed bright red. He always knew that Uraraka was beautiful and that hearing her voice always made him act like a bumbling idiot, but he had no idea she could sing so beautifully as well. It was like she was the perfect woman.

 _For one so small,_

 _you seem so strong_

 _My arms will hold you,_

 _keep you safe and warm_

 _This bond between us_

 _Can't be broken_

 _I will be here_

 _Don't you cry_

Soon, Eri's eyes drooped and she let out a big yawn. Midoriya couldn't help but smile as he continued to listen to Uraraka's melodic voice.

 _'Cause you'll be in my heart_

 _Yes, you'll be in my heart_

 _From this day on_

 _Now and forever more_

 _You'll be in my heart_

 _No matter what they say_

 _You'll be here in my heart, always_

Uraraka and Midoriya glanced down to see Eri with her eyes closed. Gently, Uraraka placed her head against the pillow and draped the blanket over her. Midoriya leaned in and kissed Eri on the forehead. "Good night, Eri."

Uraraka leaned down and kissed Eri's cheek. "Sweet dreams, Sweet Pea." She and Midoriya quietly made their way to the doorway and turned to look back at Eri. "She looks so peaceful, doesn't she, Deku?" Uraraka asked as she placed a hand on his chest and rested her head on his shoulder.

"She sure does." Deku said with a smile as he slowly closed the door. His gaze then turned to Uraraka's hand on his chest and his cheeks turned bright red. Uraraka glanced down at what he was flustered about and her checks turned a similar color.

Almost on instinct, the two leaped away with their backs turned from each other. "I-I'm actually pretty tired, so I'm g-g-gonna go to bed." Uraraka stuttered, not even looking at Midoriya's back.

"O-Okay." Midoriya said as well. "I'm g-g-gonna go downstairs and hang out w-w-with Iida and the others."

"NIGHT!" Both students shouted as they ran off in different directions. Meanwhile, Mina was cursing to herself from one of the unoccupied rooms.

"Damn," she said when she saw both Midoriya and Uraraka leave in a fluster. "And I thought they would actually kiss!"

* * *

 **Hi guys, hope you like this chapter. Once again, sorry it took awhile to complete and thank you all so much for your patience and support. I promise that the next chapter will be released more quickly than this one. A few pointers:**

 **1.** **The reason I incorporated the elementary/middle school on the UA campus is so that Eri has a place to get an education while Class 1-A has their own lessons.**

 **2.** **I decided to introduce Tsuyu's little sister Satsuki to the story because I figured it would be nice for Eri to have a friend that was her own age (I don't think anyone knows Eri's real age, so I guessed it to be 6/7).**

 **3.** **I'm sorry if Ochako twisting her heel on Monoma's foot was a bit OOC, I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to display her "protective mother" side.**

 **4.** **There will be a few more moments in the story in which Eri brings out the fluffiness in Bakugou.**

 **5.** **I know it that the whole "Singing to calm child from nightmare" thing is a bit cliché…but when the thought of Ochako singing a (somewhat) lullaby to Eri came into my head…well…(insert doctor with paddles) CLEAR! *ZAP* (For how Ochako would sing it, look up the Celtic Woman version on youtube)**

 **Well guys, it's been fun. Once again, I will release the next chapter soon. Where creepy crawlies and ghoulish freights invade the UA campus…Eri and Class 1-A celebrate Halloween! Don't forget to favorite, comment, and follow for more updates. Until then, this is AnimeFan299110, encouraging you all to go beyond…PLUS ULTRA!**


	3. Halloween For Eri

**See end of chapter for notes. I do not own My Hero Academia, its characters, or locations. Without further ado...HERE IS HALLOWEEN FOR ERI!**

* * *

A month had passed since Eri first stepped through the doors of the Class 1-A dorm. Midoriya and Uraraka were doing their best to not just become superheroes, but also to be good temporary parents. There were times when they had to be strict with her, but she took it in stride, even if she didn't like the outcome. Of course, those conversations would always end with a kiss on her cheek from either of them, just to show that they still loved her.

The rest of Class 1-A did their best to help Eri out with her daily routine. Tsuyu still took her to and from school, Kirishima made her breakfast every other day while Midoriya and Uraraka alternated on the rest, Momo read a bedtime story to her every night, Iida made sure the students stayed in line in terms of the "Eri Rules", and after much pleading from Eri and some convincing on Tooru's part toward Midoriya and Uraraka, Mashirao began to teach her martial arts in order to battle villains when she couldn't use her quirk. Bakugou didn't do much; he spent most of his time doing his homework, ignoring everyone, or just shouting at them. Eri suspected that he was still peeved about the time she asked him to show her his quirk.

As the days progressed, the weather began to change. The colors of the leaves changed from green to a dazzling display of red, orange and yellow. The air became crisper and temperatures dropped a bit as a chill came into the air. All of the students started wearing warmer clothes and some had resorted to wearing fleece coats and scarves.

During school one day, Eri caught wind of a couple of students having a conversation. She was able to catch one word that sparked her curiosity: "Halloween." She had heard it somewhere before, but didn't know what it meant. It was on her mind for the rest of the day until she couldn't take it anymore. After dinner when she and the 1-A students were in the living room, she finally asked about it.

"Mama, Papa?" Eri asked as she looked up at Midoriya and Uraraka. "I heard something today at school…what's Halloween?"

"An excellent question, Eri!" Iida chimed in. "To understand what Halloween is, we must go back to the 10th century."

'Oh balls.' the others thought in dismay; whenever anyone asked a simple question, Iida always had to give a lecture about the entire subject.

"Halloween, or All Hallows Eve," Iida began, "can be traced back to 10th century Ireland during the farming festival called Samhain, which occurred between October 31st and November 1st. The holiday was meant to mark the end of harvest season and the beginning of winter. As the crops died, the farmers believed that there was a day when the spirits of the dead could rise up from their graves. During the festival, they would dress in disguise to fool and ward off the spirits in the hopes of protecting their land throughout the upcoming winter."

"In regular, non-Iida terms," Kirishima chimed in before Iida could continue, "Halloween is a celebration on the night of October 31st in which folks dress up in different costumes, walk up to people's doorstep, and say "Trick-or-Treat". And if you say it politely, the folks will give you free candy!"

"Candy…?" Eri asked as her eyes sparkled with delight and her mouth began to water at the thought. Uraraka and Midoriya chuckled a bit at the sight of Eri being on cloud nine. Soon, Eri shook her head and returned herself back to the topic at hand. "So what kind of costumes do people wear?"

"Oh, there are all kinds of costumes!" Mina said delightfully as she used her fingers to count. "There's superheroes, monsters, movie and tv characters…"

"Sexy kittens," Mineta said as his eyes glazed over in perverted thought, "Naughty nurses, slutty cops, Playboy bu-" He stopped immediately as soon as he felt the glares of every other student in the room. "I…I'll just stop talking now," he concluded meekly.

"Anyway," Momo said as she turned her gaze from the class pervert to Eri, "You can be whatever you want to be for Halloween, as long as it's not one of Mineta's suggestions."

Eri began to ponder a bit as to what she wanted to be for Halloween. On one hand, it would be cool to dress up as a superhero. But she saw caped crime fighters every day. She could be a movie or tv character, but she didn't watch a lot of those. Most of her days were spent playing games with either Midoriya, Uraraka, and the other students.

As she continued to ponder, her eyes soon fell on a book that was in Momo's hands. Momo's eyes glanced down at what Eri was looking at and handed her the book with a smile. As Eri flipped through the book, she noticed that some of pages included pictures of people posing in medieval clothes. She continued to flip through until…

"Mama! Papa!" Eri exclaimed when she stopped on a page in the book. "This is what I want to be for Halloween!"

Midoriya and Uraraka leaned in and saw a picture of a princess in a purple dress with a tiara on her head waving to a sea of loyal and loving subjects. "That looks good, Eri," Uraraka said as she looked through the book herself. "Say," she addressed to the rest of Class 1-A, "how about all of us wear costumes from this book?"

Most of the students nodded in agreement; it would be cool to do a themed costume set as a group. "If everyone can decide which costume they want," Momo said, "I can make the costumes and that way, we can save time and mon-"

"NO! FRICKIN'! WAY!" Bakugou blurted out as the rest of Class 1-A looked at him with shock. "I am willing to do this and that for the kid, but there is no way in Hades that I am dressing up like a fairy fa-" He stopped, however, when he saw Eri's eyes peering above the book as she held it up for him to see. He glanced down and saw a picture of a mean-looking dude who was riding a dragon into battle. "Who's this?" He asked.

"He's a war chief, Kacchan." Eri said as she pointed at the man. "He looks like he is a pretty strong and awesome person."

After glaring at Eri for a few minutes, Bakugou said, "Fine! I'll do it; but only if I get to be that guy," he added as he pointed at the person in the book. Eri smiled widely as the rest of Class 1-A hooted and cheered.

* * *

Two weeks later, the sky began to darken on the night of October 31st, and all of class 1-A was abuzz with excitement, especially Eri. After getting the costume requests from her classmates, Momo was able to use her quirk to create costumes for them all. After much deliberation amongst themselves, it was decided that Eri would go trick-or-treating with Midoriya, Uraraka, Tokoyami, and Tsuyu. Even Satsuki was invited to join Eri on her excursion.

It was around six o'clock at night when Uraraka was fitting Eri into her princess costume. The gown was purple with sparkles all around and poofs on the shoulders. For footwear, Eri was wearing shiny purple shoes. Uraraka had to give Momo credit; the design and detail of the dress was flawless. As soon as the dress was on, Uraraka placed a little tiara on top of Eri's head. She then pivoted the mirror so that Eri could get a look at herself. She chuckled a bit at the look of awe on Eri's face when she looked at her reflection.

"Now that your dress is all done," Uraraka said as she put the mirror in its original spot, "it's time I got into my costume."

After a few minutes, Uraraka checked herself in the mirror. She wore calf-length boots, brown leggings, a tan gown with a belt around her waist and tiny straps for her wrists, and a small maroon shawl that had a hole for her head and that was attached to a pointy, maroon wizard's hat. In her right hand, she held a large wooden staff with a red jewel in the center.

"Wow Mama," Eri said as she looked at Uraraka in awe and wonder. "You look so pretty."

"Aww, thanks sweetie," Uraraka said as she leaned down and kissed Eri on the forehead, to which the girl giggled. "Want to go see if Papa's ready?" Eri nodded her head vigorously. Using her free hand, Uraraka scooped up Eri and exited her room.

As she walked down the hallway, two doors opened up to reveal Kirishima and Mina come from their respective rooms. Kirishima was wearing grey pants, black boots, a torn loincloth, a sleeveless grey jacket, a tiger-striped scarf, and a metal glove on his left arm. Wrapped around his waist were two small swords that could be used as daggers. Mina was wearing calf-length boots, black leggings, a short skirt, a tight fur top with a strap on her left shoulder, and a pair of black gloves.

"Oh my God, Eri!" Mina cried out as she ran up to the little girl in excitement. "You look so cute in that dress!"

"Thanks, Auntie Mina. You look cute in your costume too. And you look so cool in those clothes, Uncle Shima!" She added as she looked on at Kirishima. **(AN: She has a Mama and Papa, so why not throw a few Aunts and Uncles into the mix?)**

"Glad it was to your liking, Eri!" a familiar female voice said behind the group. Eri and others turned to see Shoto dressed like a prince and Momo in a pretty revealing knight costume.

"It sure was." Eri responded with a smile. "Thanks, Auntie Momo!" Momo responded in kind with a smile, though she was fangirling inside.

"If you morons are done talking," Kacchan said as he too walked out of his dorm room, "We can get this over with and I can ditch you losers." Shaking their heads, Eri and the others made their way downstairs to join the other 1-A students. When they reached the second floor, a door opened up to reveal Midoriya wearing dark blue pants, red boots, a white undershirt, a sleeveless green vest, and grey gloves. He had a satchel slung around his shoulder and a sheathed sword attached to his hip.

"Wow!" Eri said, her eyes widening and sparkling as she looked at Midoriya. "You look great, Papa." She then turned her attention to Uraraka and asked, "Don't Papa look handsome, Mama?"

At these words, both Midoriya's and Uraraka's cheeks turned bright pink. "I…well…uh…" Uraraka stuttered as the two friends looked at each other in embarrassment. Behind them, Kirishima and Mina were glancing slyly at each other, Momo and Shoto were giving small smiles, and Bakugou was rolling his eyes in annoyance. "You…You…look nice, Deku!" Uraraka blurted out loud.

"Y-Y-You t-too!" Midoriya yelled out. "Let's get going!" And with that, both students bolted downstairs with a confused Eri still clinging to Uraraka. The others, however, had mixed reactions. Bakugou grumbled something like "fuckin' morons", Momo and Shoto gave exhausted sighs, and Kirishima was trying to calm down an agitated Mina.

As they reached the main floor, they soon saw other students in their costumes. Iida was dressed up as a knight, Tsuyu was a barmaid, Tokoyami had a black cloak on that covered every part of his body except for his head, and Tooru, of course, was only wearing gloves. As soon as Eri came into view, everyone gathered around her. They "oohed" and "aahed" about how pretty she looked in her dress. Eri, of course, responded in kind with a smile and a giggle.

"Hey Eri!" A small, familiar voice called out to Eri and she turned to see Satsuki running up to her. "That's a cool dress you have on." She stated as she looked at her friend.

"Thanks, Satsuki!" Eri replied. "Your costume looks cool too." Satsuki was wearing a dress similar to her sister's.

"Yeah, I figured it would be cool for both big sis and me to wear the same costume," Satsuki said with a smile.

"What's up, 1-A?" a feminine voice called out from nowhere. Everyone turned their heads to see a girl with pink hair who was wearing baggy pants, a white tank top with dirt stains all over it, and a leather apron. She also wore a leather belt with various tools attached to it.

"Hatsume?" Kyoka asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Tooru and Mina invited me," Mei grinned. "They told me about a medieval costume theme in your dorm and I couldn't resist. Like the outfit?" She asked as she gave a wink and a peace sign. "I'm a blacksmith!" Her eyes soon shot to Midoriya and they sparkled at the sight before them. "Holy cow, Midoriya!" she said as she ran and got up close to him, "That's a wicked costume you've got there. If you ever get the chance to come to the workshop, I can make a few more of my babies to add as accessories for – OOMPH!" Two small hands pushed her roughly away from Midoriya. "What the heck?" she soon asked as her eyes fell upon Eri, whose arms were stretched in a protective motion and who had a pout on her face as she looked up at Mei.

"No!" Eri's tone was serious. "Papa belongs to Mama!"

"E-Eri!" Uraraka said in shock as her face turned red from embarrassment. She raced over and picked Eri up as she rubbed the back of her head. "So sorry, Hatsume," Uraraka said as she smiled sheepishly at the mechanic. "She just gets so protective sometimes of her Papa. This is Eri, by the way," she added, remembering that Mei had never met the little girl before. "She's the girl Deku, Tsuyu, Kirishima, and I saved from those bad guys a few months ago."

"I see," Mei said as she looked at the little girl. "Anyway, no harm done."

"Maybe we ought to get going if we want to get some sweets," Tsuyu suggested as she looked up at the clock. Midoriya, Uraraka, Satsuki, and Tokoyami nodded in agreement; it would be best to head out now before the teenagers came out to cause havoc. As they went outside, some of the students left to check out the haunted house set up by Class 1-B while others went out to take in the sights.

"Have a great time, Eri and Satsuki!" Mina called out as Kirishima dragged her along to join Bakugou, Tooru, Hatsume, Mashirao, and a few others at the haunted house.

"And remember, always remind others that Papa belongs to Mama," Sero said with a chuckle as he left with Shoto, Momo, Kaminari, Iida, and Kyoka.

"S-S-Sero!" Midoriya and Uraraka stuttered in shock and embarrassment. Tsuyu and Satsuki tried hard to hold back giggles while Tokoyami gave an ever-so-rare smile in amusement. Only Eri was left confused about why her Mama and Papa got embarrassed around each other. As soon as Midoriya and Uraraka composed themselves, the six of them continued on their quest for candy.

Soon they reached their first house. The place was decked out with cobwebs, glow-in-the-dark skeletons, and giant Halloween blow-ups.

"Now remember, Eri," Uraraka said, "you walk up to the front door, ring the doorbell, and when the person opens the door, you say 'Trick or Treat!' and they'll give you candy. Now go ahead, sweetie."

Eri smiled confidently and took a few steps before stopping abruptly. As she looked up at the looming house with its various creepy and scary ornaments, she realized that she was both nervous and terrified at the same time. The eeriness and darkness of the night didn't help matters- the house looked even darker and scarier that way.

As Eri looked on in fear, Midoriya and Uraraka looked at each other with worry. 'Maybe it was too much pressure on Eri to be out on a night like this.' They both thought. There were always those that got too into the holiday by dressing up in costume and scaring trick-or-treaters when they knocked or whose houses were so intimidating that nobody ever came. Not to mention the fact that the darkness was always something that Eri was scared of, considering her previous living arrangements. 'Maybe we should take her ba-'

"C'mon, Eri!" Satsuki said, snapping Eri, Midoriya, and Uraraka out of their thoughts as she took Eri's hand and smiled. "We can do it together; you _know_ you want that candy!" she added with a small smirk.

"O-Okay," Eri said. Although she was still slightly nervous, she slowly walked up the front porch and waited while Satsuki jumped up and rang the doorbell. After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal a woman in her late 60s looking down on them with a smile.

"Trick-or-Treat!" Satsuki said with a smile as she lifted her bucket.

"T-Trick-or-Treat." Eri said meekly as she lifted her bucket as well.

"My, my; aren't you two just the cutest! Here, one for each of you." She said she placed a tiny wrapped candy bar in each of their buckets.

"Thank you." Both girls said as they made their way toward their elders.

It was on her way towards Midoriya and Uraraka that Eri's face lit up with excitement and she ran towards her "parents" until she was scooped up in Midoriya's arms. "Mama! Papa!" Eri said excitedly. "Look! I did it, I did it!"

"That's great, Eri!" Midoriya said as he saw the singular candy bar in the bucket. "We're both so proud of you!"

"So I take it you don't want to head back home?" Uraraka asked with a smile on her face.

"Nope!" Eri said with a toothy grin as Tokoyami, Tsuyu, and Satsuki watched with amusement.

"Well then," Midoriya said as he placed Eri on his shoulders, "where to next, Princess Eri?"

Filled with enough confidence to rival her Grandpa Might, Eri pointed her finger rigidly down the street and said "To the next house, Sir Deku!" The others chuckled in response as they continued their quest for free candy.

* * *

Needless to say, the excursion was a complete success. Nearly every house they went to had a friendly neighbor who was willing to offer candy. Most of those who answered their doors also commented on how both Eri and Satsuki looked so cute in their costumes. At around 8:30pm, both girls had their buckets almost filled to the brim with candy and were tuckered out from all the walking they had done. It got to the point where Eri had fallen asleep, resting her head on Midoriya's shoulder, while Satsuki was sleeping in Tsuyu's arms.

"I'm gonna take Satsuki back home," Tsuyu said to Midoriya and Uraraka. "My parents said that they wanted her back by nine at the very latest."

"I'm going with her as well," Tokoyami added. "After what happened with the Eight Percepts of Death, it's best that we stick together."

"Aww." Dark Shadow said sarcastically. "You sure you don't want someone to harm your precious wai-"

"Shut it, you," Tokoyami said quickly, a slight hint of pink around his cheeks. The others couldn't help but giggle and chuckle at his obvious discomfort. "Anyway, we better get going."

"Alright," Midoriya said. "We'll see you when you get back."

"Be careful, you two," Uraraka said. The two then waved at their classmates as they ran off.

Once Tokoyami and Tsuyu were out of sight, Midoriya and Uraraka started back with Eri. As they continued to walk, Uraraka couldn't help but smile a little as she watched Eri sleeping on Midoriya's shoulder. She closed her eyes and imagined being in a flower field overlooking the city. Eri was running toward her, smiling and laughing. Laughing with her, Uraraka scooped her up and planted a kiss on her cheek. She then noticed Midoriya walking up to them with a loving look on his face. At that moment, their eyes began to close slowly as they leaned in….

Uraraka's eyes suddenly snapped open as her face turned dark pink. She had just thought about kissing Midoriya!

"Um…Uraraka?" Midoriya asked, causing her to jump in surprise. "Are you okay?"

"JUSTFINEINNOWAYWASITHINKINGABOUTKISSINGYOU!" Uraraka shouted quickly as her face turned a darker shade.

"O-Okay." Midoriya said, though he could sense that something was up that she wasn't telling him.

After a while, they had returned to the dormitory. Most of the students had already gone to bed or were out enjoying the festivities. Slowly, they made way to Midoriya's room and gently placed Eri on her bed. It was only when Uraraka began to pull the covers over her when Eri slowly opened her eyes halfway. "Mama? Papa?" She asked sleepily. "Wh-Where…"

"Shhh" Midoriya said quietly. "We're back home; Big Sis Tsuyu and Tokoyami took Satsuki back."

"Oh," Eri said softly. "Candy?"

"It's right here, sweetie," Uraraka said as she leaned the bucket so that Eri could get a look inside.

Eri smiled as she saw the container filled with sugary goodies. She then turned her gaze towards the two students. "Thank you. Thank you both…so…muuuuu…" a huge yawn stole her words, and she drifted back to sleep immediately. Both Midoriya and Uraraka looked fondly at the little girl in front of them. They couldn't believe their good fortune; it seemed as though it was only yesterday that they had begun their path towards becoming superheroes. Now, they were charged with giving the little girl in front of them the life she deserved. As they continued to watch Eri smile a little as she slept, one thought crossed both of their minds.

'Pleasant dreams…our precious little princess.'

* * *

 **Well guys, another day, another chapter done! This was so much fun to write! Sorry if some of you feel as though the ending was a bit rushed. I would like to point out a few things:**

 **1\. I know I said that this chapter would be released shorter than the previous chapter, but I have decided that each chapter will be published on New England time. What is that, you are asking? It means the story gets updated WHEN IT GETS UPDATED! I know a lot of you are anticipating the new chapter every day, but I have other projects I am trying to work on. All I ask is that you all be patient; don't ever think that I have quit on this project if I do not update it quickly. As the Cleaner from Toy Story 2 once said: "You can't rush art."**

 **2\. If there are any grammar errors, please just say that there are. Please do not go into detail every single one you find. I am a novice writer who does for a hobby, not Ernest Hemingway.**

 **Now that that's out of the way, let's get down with some story and fanfic updates.**

 **Story updates:**

 **-After much consideration and debate, I have decided to include short stories in Family Matters! They will be shorter than the main story chapters, but shorter means that they will be published quicker. So be on the lookout for them.**

 **Fanfic updates (some current fics I am writing):**

 **- _Black Butler: Ciel's Doll_ : AU in which Doll is spared and she joins Ciel on his missions. Eventual Ciel x Doll. Almost done with first chapter**  
 **- _American Ed-iot_ : An Ed, Edd, n Eddy story in which the three boys are in their high school years and the school has decided to hold a production of American Idiot: the Musical. The boys are cast as the three male leads Johnny (Edd), Tunny (Ed), and Will (Eddy) while the other Cul-De-Sac kids have been cast in the show, like Marie as Whatsername, May as the Extraordinary Girl, Lee as Heather (all of whom still flirt with the eds but have toned it down slightly), Kevin (captain of the football team and, along with the other kids, is nicer to the eds) as America's Favorite Son, Jimmy (who is openly gay and is trying to get into a major performing arts college) as St. Jimmy, Johnny 2x4 (who has grown up from having Plank) as the Rock n Roll Boyfriend, Nazz (who is now head cheerleader and dating Kevin) as Heather's best friend/ensemble, and Sarah, Rolf, and OCs as Ensemble. Mainly Edd/Marie with slight Ed/May, Eddy/Lee, and Kevin/Nazz.**  
 **- _My Hero Academia: The Greatest Showman_. Set in an alternate universe, Izuku Midoriya decides to create a show that features some of the world's oddities in order to create a good life for his wife Ochako Uraraka and his two daughters Eri and Aoi.**  
 **-Here is the big question: who should play Philip Carlyle (Zac Efron) and Anne Wheeler (Zendaya)? Here are my three possible pairings:**  
 **-Iida x Mei: Iida comes from a prestigious family who would look down on someone like Mei. Mei is someone who wants to be with Iida but knows that that isn't possible within their society.**  
 **-Kirishima x Ashido: I love the idea of them doing "Rewrite the Stars" and being so close together during that song.**  
 **-Shouto x Momo: I did think about this, but both come from prestigious families.**  
 **-Guess what? You get to decide! I will set up a poll and you get to vote on which of the three should be Philip and Anne! Voting ends on August 31st.**

 **Well guys, hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please comment, favorite, and subscribe. Next up is the first short story: Eri Meets Gunhead! And remember, this is AnimeFan299110 telling all of you to go beyond...PLUS ULTRA!**


	4. Side Story 1: Gunhead and Movie Night

**Hiya folks! Told you guys the next installment would come quickly. By the way, I do not own Boku no Hero Academia, its characters, or its locations. They are all owned by Kohei Horikoshi, Jump Comics, and Funimation. Now without further ado...here is the newest installment for Family Matters!**

* * *

"Where are you going, Mama?" Eri asked as Uraraka put her shoes on. It was a crisp Saturday afternoon in Japan; the trees were almost completely bare and the heating system was on low. Most of the students were wearing scarves and leather boots, and everywhere you turned, there was always something pumpkin-related being sold. Some of the 2-A students were busy cramming for their midterms while others were trying to do some fall cleaning.

"I'm heading off to see Gunhead for some training," Uraraka said as she put on a scarf. "He taught me during my internship this past summer. I've been slacking a bit in my martial arts, so I set up some training with him to help me out."

"Cool!" Eri said as her eyes sparkled. "Can I come too, Mama? Please?"

"I don't know, Eri," Uraraka said. "I'm not sure Gunhead would allow someone as young as you-"

"But I want to watch you train!" Eri interrupted, a slight hint of desperation in her tone. "I've already seen how Papa fights; I wanna see you fighting. And I wanna meet this Gunhead person. Pleeeeeeeeease?" She pleaded as she gave puppy-dog eyes in order to sweeten the answer.

"Maybe we should bring her, Uraraka." Midoriya said. "It would be good for her to get out of the house. Besides, I kinda want to meet this Gunhead. From what you've told me, he sounds like a really great guy."

Letting out a sigh of defeat, Uraraka knelt down in front of Eri and gave her a stern look. "Fine," she said, "You can come with me to meet Gunhead. But," she added as soon as she saw the little girl's face light up, "you are not allowed to interrupt either me or Gunhead when we are training. What we are doing is dangerous and I don't want you getting hurt. You will have to stay with Papa on the sidelines until I am done. Understand?"

"Okay," Eri muttered, looking slightly disappointed.

Suddenly, an idea popped into Midoriya's head and knelt down as well. "Hey, how about this?" He said. "If you behave yourself while at the dojo, maybe we'll watch a movie of your choice tonight before you go to bed."

"Yay!" Eri said in excitement. At this, Uraraka stern face faltered and she couldn't help but smile at Eri's adorableness. With that, Midoriya buttoned Eri up in a warm fall coat and wrapped a wool scarf around her neck and mouth. Afterwards, Uraraka put little brown gloves on her hands to keep them from being cold.

"Ready, Eri?" Uraraka asked as soon as the little girl was snug and warm. Eri responded by giving a small thumbs-up through the glove. "Alright then," Uraraka exclaimed as she and Midoriya each took one of Eri's hands, "Let's get going!"

* * *

After walking through the city for about thirty minutes, the small family arrived at a large building with glass windows and a sign that said "Gunhead's School for Martial Arts." Walking inside, Eri noticed that the floor was completely covered with floor mats. There were also punching bags hanging from the ceiling, dummies, and weights to help with muscle growth.

"Ahem!" A voice called out to them. All three pairs of eyes turned to see a muscular man with grey spiky hair walk towards them. Eri and Midoriya noticed that he wore what looked like gun barrels around his lower arms that stopped at his wrists. He also wore a white mask that had four holes in it. 'I guess that's why they call him Gunhead.' They both thought. As he stopped in front of them, Eri and Midoriya both gulped at how intimidating he looked with his bulky structure and revolver chambers on his arms.

"Uraraka!" Gunhead exclaimed in a chipper voice. "It's been too long! How are you?"

"I'm well, Sensei. Thanks for asking," Uraraka responded as she placed her fist in her palm and bowed before her teacher. "By the way, Sensei," she said as she gestured toward Midoriya, "This is Deku; he's one of my classmates at UA"

"I see," Gunhead said as he looked at the green-haired boy. "So you're the boy who called Uraraka during her internship."

"Y-Y-Yes sir," Midoriya said nervously. "And m-m-my name's actually M-Midoriya."

"I see." Gunhead stuck his hand out. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, boy!" Reluctantly, Midoriya took Gunhead's hand and shook it. Once he had let go, Gunhead's gaze then turned to Eri. "And who might you be?" He asked.

"M-My name's E-E-Eri, Mr. G-Gunhead," Eri said, who was just as nervous as Midoriya.

"My goodness," Gunhead said as he rubbed Eri's head, "what a cute name for such an adorable little girl!" Gunhead's adoring nature caused Eri to calm down a bit and smile up at the man. "And who are your parents?" He asked.

At this, Eri perked up and swiveled to look at the two students. "Papa…Mama." She said as she pointed first to Midoriya and then to Uraraka.

Gunhead turned his gaze from Eri as he looked at the two friends, who had deep blushes on their faces and were sweating profusely. "Oh my," Gunhead said as he placed a hand over his mouth, "I swear they get younger every year."

"NO-NO-NO-NO-NO, I-I-I-IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Midoriya and Uraraka both cried out in embarrassment and shock as they waved their hands back and forth and their faces turned red as bricks. Eri looked up at her Mama and Papa in confusion as they tried to explain.

"IT'S JUST THAT…!"

"WE WERE TASKED TO LOOK AFTER HER!"

"I MEAN, WE'RE JUST FRIENDS!"

"I'VE NEVER EVEN KISSED A GIRL!"

They stopped, however, when they heard Gunhead laughing. "I know, I know," Gunhead said through chuckles. "All Might and Eraserhead told me everything about your situation. It was just too easy!"

'Not cool, Gunhead.' Both students thought as they felt like they had died a little inside. 'Not cool.'

* * *

The rest of the day was uneventful. After that little fiasco, Uraraka trained with Gunhead while Eri and Midoriya watched from the sidelines. Of course, that didn't stop Eri from imitating Uraraka by doing mock punches and kicks. This caused Midoriya to hold back a stifled laugh when he noticed how cute she looked. After an hour and a half of training, Uraraka packed up her things and the three of them said their goodbyes to Gunhead, who gave off a salvo of doting comments to Eri as she left.

"Well then," Uraraka said as soon as they were outside and she squatted to meet Eri's gaze, "Since you were so good while Mama was training….what movie do you want to watch tonight?"

Eri pressed a finger to her scarfed chin in thought until she said "Can we watch Moana?"

"Sure, Eri," Midoriya said with a chuckle. "After you eat your dinner and get ready for bed, of course."

"YAH!"

* * *

After Eri finished her dinner, she ran up to her room so fast that she could have rivaled Iida. Twenty minutes later, she came scurrying down in a green nightgown and stars in her eyes. After Midoriya and Uraraka explained that they had to prep as well, Momo pulled Eri aside for her daily bedtime story just to occupy her. After another twenty minutes, Uraraka and Midoriya came down wearing their own pajamas, and the rest of Class 2-A left the three of them alone for the night.

As Eri watched in awe at the amazing music, the animation, and the unique characters in the movie, Izuku and Ochaco couldn't help but smile at the little girl. This was a perfect example of what she deserved: a happy life with people who cared about her and would protect her from any danger. As they looked up, they soon realized that their faces were mere inches from each other. Their faces turned a pinkish hue and they quickly looked away in embarrassment.

While the family was watching their movie, Mina had snuck into the kitchen to grab a bottle of strawberry milk from the fridge. As she slowly closed the fridge door, she glanced at the three and gave a small smile. As soon as her foot made contact with the fourth step, however, she stood in shock by what she saw. Slowly, she poked her head out and smiled at how adorable Izuku, Uraraka, and Eri looked. Instantly, she took out her phone and started texting like mad.

Instantly, every 2-A student's phone- except for Bakugou's and Mineta's- pinged. As they glanced down, all of the students saw the exact same message:

 _Downstairs_

 _Living Room_

 _NOW!_

Within a minute, Class 2-A came to the top of the first story stairs.

"Mina," Kirishima asked as he saw his friend looking giddy, "mind telling us wha-"

"SHHHH!" Mina said as she put a finger to her lips. She pointed to something downstairs while making a silent yet high-pitched squeal. The students looked at where she was pointed and gave wide-eyed stares at the image of Eri, Midoriya, and Uraraka watching their movie.

"That...is so...adorable!" Momo said softly as she placed her hand over her mouth.

"Seriously, they look like one big happy family," Sero said with a toothy grin.

"Yeah, definitely," Shouto said, though he was looking more toward Momo and her enthusiastic face when he said that. As his gaze shifted to the living room, he saw an image in his head of himself and Momo, all grown up, sitting on a couch while she cradled a baby girl with black hair in her arms. Around them, two little boys, one with red hair and the other with white hair, ran around the couch playing a silly sort of game. As the future Momo and Shouto laughed at their antics, they faced each other and lovingly pressed their foreheads together. As the image played out in Shouto's mind, he couldn't help but smile a little at the thought of a future like that.

"Maybe we should head back upstairs," Iida said quietly. "I'm sure none of us want to disturb them."

The others nodded in agreement; it was best to leave the family alone. As they quietly made their way back upstairs, Shouto thought to himself as he looked at Momo walking ahead of him. 'Maybe someday I can have that life with her.' He smiled minutely. 'Someday.'

If only he had known that she was having those same thoughts as well….

* * *

 **And with that, the first side story for Family Matters has ended. Kudos to Discord members Deadliest Sin Bin and Rio and Grape (Black Fuego Rio) for editing this chapter. Just so you know, I will be taking a month-long break from this story so that I can write a KiriMina fanfic for KiriMina Appreciation Week during the last week of August. But afterwards, the next chapter will be epic! It will feature:**  
 **-grandparents**  
 **-a mall Santa**  
 **-snowball fight (Ochako and Eri vs Bakugou)**  
 **-Christmas goodness and fluff**  
 **-birthday celebration for Eri...**  
 **-and the introduction of a certain boy who wears a horned hat. (wink wink)**

 **As always, this is AnimeFan299110 telling you all to go beyond...PLUS ULTRA!**


	5. Offers and Threats

**Hey guys! I know I said that the next chapter would involve Christmas and Birthdays, but trust me, this chapter will help in the future in another. Also, I had to tone down on the adorableness and cuteness for this chapter. And again, I do not own Boku no Hero Academia, its characters, or its locations. They are all owned by Kohei Horikoshi, Jump Comics, and Funimation.**

* * *

It was a beautiful Wednesday afternoon in November at UA High and Class 1-A was gathering their things for the end of the day. As they were preparing to see the little bundle of joy that called them 'Mama' and 'Papa', Uraraka and Midoriya were both wondering what they should make Eri for dinner that night. They had put out some ground beef in the fridge the night before, so that left how to include vegetables and how to create it in a way that would surprise her.

"Maybe we could try meatloaf?" Midoriya asked before he dismissed it, knowing that Eri had that dish last week.

"What about tacos?" Uraraka asked before she realized that Eri would probably never touch another one of those after the incident back at beginning of the month. One Tuesday night, Class 1-A decided to have tacos for dinner, which Eri was more than excited for. However, things had taken a turn for the worse that night. As it turned out, Mineta had tried to pull a prank on Kaminari by putting hot sauce in his taco. Unfortunately, the taco had accidently ended up on Eri's plate. Needless to say, Eri ended up crying from the burning in her mouth and Mineta ended up sleeping outside, his face all black and blue from the smacks he received from Uraraka and the girls, as well as from Kaminari and Bakugou.

"How about..." Midoriya began, but stopped when he noticed that Mr. Aizawa was standing right in front of them with a note in his hand.

"Midoriya. Uraraka." He handed them the note. "The principal would like to speak with you both in his office."

Midoriya and Uraraka looked at each other in surprise; neither one of them had done anything wrong in the past few months, unless you counted Midoriya and Bakugou's second fight, but that was before they began their internships and had met Eri. As they made their way to the principal's office, they couldn't help but think the worst.

"You don't think something bad happened to Eri, do you?" Uraraka asked as they neared the principal's office.

"No," Midoriya said simply. "If something had happened to her, Mr. Aizawa would have told us himself."

After a few minutes, the two students arrived outside the principal's office. Taking a deep breath, both entered to find the little talking animal standing in front of them.

"Ah, Midoriya. Uraraka." Nezu said as he raised his right paw and waved. Though his expression rarely changed, the students could see a hint of… something unpleasant… in his eyes. Distrust? Anger? Restraint? They hoped it wasn't directed toward them. "How nice of you to join us."

'Us?' Both students thought as they glanced around. 'Who else is…?' Their thoughts were soon answered when they saw two people to their left.

One was a large, burly man in his 40s with bulging muscles that strained against his business suit. He had a scar over his right eye, a tattoo of a dragon's head on the other side of his face, and wore an expression of utmost anger. It was enough to have both Midoriya and Uraraka shaking from sheer intimidation.

The other was a man in his 60s and sitting in a wheelchair. He had wispy white hair and a somewhat athletic frame for someone his age. Even though his skin was wrinkled, Uraraka and Midoriya could still make out the various tattoos on his arms. They also noticed that the pinkie on his right hand was much smaller than the other fingers, as though it had been crudely cut off. 'Yakuza.' They both thought.

"You must be Izuku Midoriya and Ochako Uraraka." The old man asked as the bigger man wheeled his chair over to the two students. The old man than gave the best bow he could, while Midoriya and Uraraka themselves gave bows as they knew they should. "My name is Shinobu Noshimuri. This is my escort, Raiki Watanabe." He gestured to the man behind him. Watanabe only grunted in response. "Perhaps," Noshimuri continued, "it would be best if we could all have a seat." At this, the five of them made their way into the conference room next door. Once inside, Noshimuri and Watanabe sat on one end of the table while Midoriya and Uraraka sat on the other. Nezu sat in the middle between them.

"Now then," Noshimuri began, "you are probably wondering why I wished to speak with you two." Uraraka and Midoriya only nodded in response. Giving a small smile, Noshimuri said, "Lately, it has come to my attention that you and a few other heroes fought against my old syndicate, The Eight Precepts of Death. Also," he continued, "I have also learned that you aided in the rescue of a young girl named Eri, whom I care for dearly."

"Forgive me, Mr. Noshimuri," Midoriya said upon hearing his 'daughter's' name, "but how exactly do you know all of this?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, my boy," Noshimuri said with a sense of confidence, "I was the Capo for said group and was the teacher of Kai Chisaki, until a few months ago when I fell ill and gave him control of the group. And to answer your question about Eri…she is my granddaughter."

Uraraka's and Midoriya's eyes widened in shock. They had heard that Eri had a grandfather, but they never knew that he was alive, and he was the former leader of the group that held her captive!

"When I got out of the hospital," Noshimuri said, not noticing the change in the teens' faces, "I had heard about what Chisaki had done to both the organization and to my little Eri. Needless to say, I was shocked and appalled by the details. So it's safe to say that I felt no remorse when I saw on the news that he was imprisoned in Tartarus. A perfect example of justice being served, if I do say so myself."

"B-But…" Uraraka stuttered slightly, still in shock at the previous announcement, "wh-what does this have to do with Deku and me?"

"Ah, yes," Noshimuri said as he motioned at Watanabe, who picked up two black briefcases and placed them on the table. "I wish to commend you both for taking my granddaughter into your home. From what Nezu has told me," he added as he gestured toward the biped animal, "Eri has been taken good care of and that she has been extremely happy thanks to you two. For that, I am forever grateful. So, I wish to reward you both for all that you have done." After he motioned with his hand once more, Watanabe pushed the two briefcases toward Uraraka and Midoriya. As the cases slapped into their palms, the shock from the impact traveled up their arms. Watanabe was strong.

When they opened the briefcases, Midoriya and Uraraka's eyes widen in shock: both cases were stuffed with cash. Chuckling at their amazement, Noshimuri said, "Consider what's in those briefcases compensation for any expenses you may have lost from raising Eri, plus a little extra to show my appreciation for what you've done. All in all, each briefcase contains 120 million yen."

Uraraka and Midoriya couldn't believe what they were seeing; 120 million yen each for taking care of Eri. Midoriya's mind raced at the thought of having all that money. He could pay off his outstanding student debts. He could give some to his mother as a way of saying thanks for raising him all those years when he was quirkless and had nearly lost hope of ever becoming a hero. He could pay for Eri's tuition; she could go to the best public colleges in all of Japan!

Uraraka mind was going through a similar process. Not only could this be good for both them and Eri, but she could give a majority of this money to her parents. It was always her goal to become a hero and earn enough money to give her parents the life they deserved. The money in front of her could do so much toward that goal. "So," she said as she glanced away to look at Noshimuri, "this is all for us?"

"Indeed," he said before a look of seriousness spread across his face, "if you return Eri to me."

All of the hopes and dreams that had formed in Uraraka's and Midoriya's minds were immediately shattered when those words came out of Noshimuri's mouth. Slowly, they looked up with impassive looks on their faces. "Give…Eri…back to you?" Midoriya asked slowly.

"Indeed," Noshimuri said with a nod. "She is my granddaughter, after all. And I can assure you, she will be placed in a better home and will be treated well. When available, we could even set times when she could meet you two for a day."

Uraraka and Midoriya looked down at the money, still untouched. With this, they could use to help not just themselves, but their parents as well. Goals could be met, better living arrangements could be made, and even tuition wouldn't be a problem.

But it would mean having to give up perhaps the most precious thing in their lives. Eri was a child who suffered so much at a young age, and yet who always had a smile on her face whenever she made someone happy. She was selfless, caring, obedient, and was willing to help in any way she could. And then, there was the promise they made to her months ago:

 _"It's okay, Eri. We're here. You just had a bad dream, that's all."_

 _"But….But it seemed so real."_

 _"Believe us, Eri, we will never leave you. Not in a million years."_

As the two looked at each other, they both knew their answer.

"We're sorry, Mr. Noshimuri." Midoriya said as he and Uraraka closed their cases with decisive _snap_ s and pushed them toward the old man, "but we can't accept these terms."

"If the problem is the money," Noshimuri said as Watanabe took the briefcases, "then I can surely offer you-"

"The problem isn't about the money." Uraraka interrupted as she and Midoriya rose from their chairs. "It's about Eri. We can't let you take her away from us."

A long silence loomed through the air as the two students stared at the criminal and his underling. After a while, Noshimuri rubbed the bridge of his nose and said, "I don't think you two understand what I said to you earlier. Eri is my granddaughter; I am her only living relative. Legally, she belongs with me."

"Oh, believe us, we understood." Midoriya said, uncharacteristically dark and looming. "We know she's your granddaughter and we know she- _legally_ \- belongs with you." His expression turned darker, somehow. "But do you honestly think we would give her up to you, a known head of the Yakuza gang of villains?"

"A man who turned his own flesh and blood over to a bunch of criminals so that they could do experiments on her?" Uraraka stated, her glare as dark as Midoriya's. "A man who knew the monster that he not only took under his wing, but also performed horrid experiment on a little girl?"

"And you expect us to _believe_ that you'll put her in a safer place?" Midoriya asked as he clenched his fists in anger. "You'll probably just leave her in the hands of others who just want to experiment on her even more. So if you think we're just going to accept your dirty money and give Eri away, then you don't know us at all."

Noshimuri's once soft gaze changed into an angry glare. "I would be careful with what you say next." He growled deeply. "I am not asking you; I am telling you: if you do not give me my granddaughter, I will-"

"That is enough." Nezu said finally as he stood up from his chair and onto the table. "I will not tolerate any threats made to my students. And I must agree with Mr. Midoriya and Ms. Uraraka." He added as he slowly made his way to Noshimuri. "You may be Eri's legitimate family member, but you are also a criminal. The police entrusted UA High School to look after Eri and, thus, protect her from any harm that may come to her. In turn, I entrusted Mr. Midoriya and Ms. Uraraka to look after her and care for her. And from what I have heard from their fellow classmates and Eri's teacher, they have done a much better job in raising her than you or anyone else from your organization had ever done."

"Tough talk coming from a flea-infested, walking, talking, rodent freak." Watanabe finally said in a deep, menacing voice.

"This coming from the human gorilla." Nezu retorted, brushing the insult off as if it were dust on his suit. He smirked. "Sure, you could try and have your assistant kill the three of us, Mr. Noshimuri," He turned his attention back to the crime lord. "But I will remind you that this school houses some of the finest future heroes as well as many current pros who would be more than capable of taking you both down in an instant. And one or two students aren't against killing a criminal." He shrugged, making a slight reference to Bakugou. "So do us all a favor. Take your filthy money, take your lackey, and get off this campus."

Watanabe gnashed his teeth together, but Noshimuri held up a hand to silence him. Without another word, Watanabe placed both briefcases on his back and pushed his boss' wheelchair away from the table. As they reached the door, however, Noshimuri shot one last look of hatred toward Midoriya and Uraraka. "You'll both regret not taking me up on my offer," he growled through gritted teeth. "This isn't over." And with that, the crime boss and his lackey exited the room.

A few seconds of silence passed in the room as Midoriya, Uraraka, and Nezu's eyes were still fixated on the door. Soon, though, their expressions soon softened and Midoriya and Uraraka fell back into their seats. "You both did the right thing." Nezu said as he stood in front of them. "It takes true love and care of a person to deny an offer that incredible."

"Yeah," Midoriya said, "but what do we do now? We just made enemies with a Yakuza boss whose Eri's grandfather."

"I do have a few suggestions." Nezu said. "First, it might be best to have Eri spend some nights in Ms. Uraraka's room from time to time so as to not have her sleeping quarters be routine. Second, it would best to not let Eri go off campus for the rest of the month, lest someone tries to abduct her. Perhaps let her have playdates with Satsuki at your dormitory. Finally, it would be best not to tell Eri about what was discussed here today. She is still recovering from her experience and we would not want any old wounds to open up. If all of those seem reasonable, you are both dismissed and may head back to your dormitory."

Midoriya and Uraraka nodded; those did seem like fair suggestions. With that, they packed up their belongings and made their way out of the room. "I meant what I said earlier," Nezu said warmly as the students reached the door, "about how you two are raising Eri so well. Even though it may be a while until Eri fully heals mentally, she seems to enjoy her life thanks to you two and the rest of Class 1-A." Midoriya and Uraraka both smiled at the principal for his kind words. And with that, they exited the room. 'I just hope they remember that Eri's stay is only temporary.' Nezu thought sadly as he watched them leave.

* * *

Neither Midoriya nor Uraraka spoke another word about the incident until they got to the 1-A dormitory. "We should probably tell the others about this so that they know what's going on," Midoriya said.

"Agreed," Uraraka responded. "But we should wait until after we put Eri to bed." Midoriya nodded, and with that, both students entered the building, met by the rest of their classmates.

"What happened?" Momo asked in concern. "We heard that you both went to the principal's office."

"Was it about the hot sauce incident?" Mineta asked nervously.

"Did it have something to do with your grades?" Iida asked with annoyance. "I know you like spending time with Eri, but if you both wish to become heroes, your grades must come first."

"Mama? Papa?" A small voice asked. The class parted to reveal Eri, who was staring up at Midoriya and Uraraka with concern. "What's wrong?"

Both students smiled softly as Uraraka placed her hand on Eri's head. "It's nothing, sweetie," she replied. "Have you eaten yet?" When the little girl shook her head, Uraraka took her hand and led her into the kitchen.

Midoriya started to follow, but not before turning to his fellow classmates with a look of seriousness on his face. "Uraraka and I will explain everything later," he said quietly so as to not let Eri hear him. "We're asking that you all wait until Eri has been put to bed." And with that, he took his leave.

* * *

The rest of the evening continued without any incidents. After dinner, Uraraka asked Eri if she would like to spend a few nights in her room, as a nice change of pace. Eri was more than happy to sleep in Uraraka's room from time to time, whispering to her that there was only so much All Might memorabilia a person could see. At around 8pm, Uraraka and Midoriya took Eri upstairs to bed. After tucking her in, they each gave her a good-night kiss before they closed the door.

After the easy part of the evening was done, they made their way down the stairs until they reached the living room, where they found the rest of Class 1-A staring back at them. "So," Bakugou said in an annoyed tone, "are you gonna tell us what happened or not?"

And with that, Midoriya and Uraraka quietly told them everything, careful to not wake Eri. They talked about Noshimuri and that he was Eri's grandfather, how he offered them 120 million yen each in exchange for Eri, how they rejected his offer, and how he threatened them before he left. As they finished their story, they glanced around to see mixed reactions. Iida, Shouto, and a few others were shaking their heads in either shock or disgust. Momo, Mina, Aoyama, Tsuyu, and others had a hand over their mouths in shock. Mineta and a few just stood there with blank expressions on their faces. Bakugou and Kirishima, on the other hand, were clenching their fists in anger.

"Goddamn bastard," Bakugou snarled. "Thinking that a little kid could be easily bought. You should've slammed his face into a wall, Deku." He directed his glare at Midoriya.

"We didn't want things to get out of hand, Kacchan," Midoriya said calmly. "Besides, if we did attack Noshimuri, we would be proving that we're no better than him." Bakugou only replied with a scoff.

"Though I will agree with the principal," Iida said as he placed a hand on Midoriya and Uraraka's shoulders. "You both did the right thing not accepting that money." At this, the rest of the class nodded in agreement.

"So what do we do now about Eri?" Mina asked with concern.

"Nezu told us that it would be best to keep an eye on Eri and her surroundings for the time being." Uraraka said. "He also said to not let her off campus for the rest of the month at least. If she wants to spend time with friends like Satsuki, then they can hang out here." She added as she glanced at Tsuyu, who nodded.

"But the two of us cannot do this alone," Midoriya chimed in. "We need all of you to help out in any way you can. After the Simulation Joint and Training Camp invasions, we can't be too careful. Noshimuri has powerful connections in the underworld. Heck, Overhaul had connections with the League of Villains. We have to be on guard."

All the other students nodded in agreement; by angering the former head of the organization that held Eri captive, they had just made a whole new list of enemies. "Now then," Iida said after a while, "I'm sure the two of you are exhausted after what happened. I would thus suggest that you both head up to bed."

Midoriya and Uraraka both nodded; it had indeed been a rough day for them. Silently, they made their way upstairs. When they made it to the second floor, Midoriya turned to Uraraka. "Hey Uraraka," he said, "Mind if I accompany you to your room?" It was then that Uraraka's face turned a bright shade of pink. Noticing what she may have interpreted from what he said, Midoriya's face turned equally dark as he waved his hands back and forth nervously. "I-I-I j-j-just wanted t-t-t-to check on Eri, that's all!" he stammered. At this explanation, Uraraka calmed down. She nodded and they both made their way up the stairs.

When they reached Uraraka's room, they opened the door slowly so as to not wake Eri up. They glanced in to see her curled up under her blanket, cuddling up with the Midoriya plushie that Momo had made for her a week ago. The memory of that day still brought a smile to both Midoriya's and Uraraka's faces. When Koji had shown Eri the teddy bear and giraffe plushies in his room, he offered to let her have one of them. When she kindly refused, Momo offered to make one for her of her choosing. After thinking for a while, Eri asked if she could make a plushie of Midoriya, which was followed by a collection of "DAAAAAW"s from the girls. Midoriya, at that time, didn't know whether to blush in embarrassment or cry tears of joy.

Midoriya and Uraraka couldn't help but smile. They may have made a new enemy in Shinobu Noshimuri, but that would be an issue for another time. Right now, Eri was safe and happy with her life and with people who loved and cared for her. As they continued to watch Eri smile in her sleep, they remembered another reason why they turned down Noshimuri's offer. She may have been worth only 240 million yen to him, but to Midoriya and Uraraka…she was priceless.

* * *

 **And with that, Offers and Threats comes to an end. Thanks for reading this chapter! Again, this will help as an explanation in a future chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it. I promise that the next chapter will be the Christmas and birthday chapter.**

 **By the way, I met Justin Briner (the English voice actor for Midoriya) at Boston Comic Con on Saturday, August 11th. When asked what he thought about the IzuOcha ship, these were his words: "Yeah, man. I am all for those two as a couple."**  
 **.**  
 **.**  
 **.**  
 **.**  
 **I thought I was going to explode with happiness. THE VOICE OF MIDORIYA IS IN SUPPORT OF THE SHIP! SOMEONE GRAB THE CHAMPAGNE!**

 **Ha! But in all seriousness, that's awesome to know he supports it. I also got a photo with him (with Christopher Sabat [All Might] photobombing us!).**

 **And kudos to Black Fuego Rio and Discord user** **Igneel Seishouki** **for editing this chapter.**

 **Anyway, don't forget to favorite, comment and follow for more.**

 **Until the next chapter, this is AnimeFan299110, telling you all to go beyond...PLUS ULTRA!**


	6. Birthdays and Christmas Celebrations

**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to publish a new chapter, I had some other projects to work on. Hopefully, the length and the content of this chapter will make up for it. As for Wattpad and AO3, I will be posting this chapter on those websites by the end of the week (so hold off on the comments for a bit, Sergito). Also, I do not own Boku no Hero Academia, its characters, or its locations. They are all owned by Kohei Horikoshi, Jump Comics, and Funimation. And now...here is the newest installment of Family Matters!**

* * *

 _December 18th_

"Keep up Eri; we're nearly there!" Uraraka said as the little girl's head swiveled around in amazement at the decorations hanging between the skyscrapers of Tokyo. It was the middle of December and everyone was in a festive mood. Large, multi-colored paper balls hung in the air on wires, projection cameras displayed snowflakes, snowmen, and other Christmassy decorations against the sides of buildings, and window shoppers stood in awe as they watched the Christmas-themed displays set up by big name shopping stores.

On this particular day, Eri and her 'parents' were heading into the city to pick up a Christmas cake for the Class 1-A holiday party on Christmas Eve. Being confined to a small, dark cell for a majority of her life, Eri rarely saw such a wide variety of colors and shapes. So it was understandable that her gaze flitted back and forth between everything she saw, trying to take it all in and not miss a single thing. Midoriya and Uraraka smiled fondly at Eri's sense of awe and wonder. It was so cute to see the little six-year-old see so many new, fascinating things!

After crossing a couple more blocks, the three of them arrived at a small bakery nestled between a bookstore and a pharmacy. The structure was wooden and the entire window display was filled with delicious cakes and pies. As soon as they entered, the scent of sweets hit them like an aromatic firework. Besides the glass cases displaying what the shop had to offer, there were also little toy planes with Santas inside that flew around the room, a ceramic village with a toy train, and holly that hung from the ceiling.

"Hey Uraraka," Midoriya said as Eri's wonder-filled gaze continued to drink in all of the sights, "if you get the cake, I can watch Eri."

"Sounds good." Uraraka walked up to the counter where an elderly woman was kneading dough. "Hi," Uraraka greeted and the woman looked up from her work and smiled warmly at her. "My name's Uraraka Ochako. My friend, Ashido Mina, ordered a cake for our party?"

"Ah yes," the woman said as she used a towel to clean her hands. "We just finished it yesterday. I'll be back with it in a few minutes."

As the old lady went into a secluded part of the shop, Uraraka turned to see Midoriya crouching next to Eri and pointing at the various cakes and sweets. She silently giggled as Eri's eyes glistened with happiness and her mouth watered. Uraraka glanced at Midoriya and couldn't help but smile fondly at him. It had been almost three months since Class 1-A had accepted Eri into their lives and Midoriya was proving to be a better father figure to her than anyone could have ever imagined. Uraraka felt extremely lucky that she was given the opportunity to share all of Eri's adventures with him.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

The sudden question caused Uraraka to blush a violent shade of pink as she spun around to see an old man with their Christmas cake and a smile on his face.

"Nonononono," she babbled as she waved her hands back and forth frantically, "h-h-h-he's just friend. I-I-I mean, w-we aren't even-"

"Forgive my husband," the old lady said as she playfully smacked the old man's shoulder. "He's got the blood of a romantic coursing through his veins." She smiled as Uraraka composed herself, inspected the cake, withdrew the money that 1-A had pooled together from her pocket, and handed it to the couple.

"How long have you two been together?" Uraraka asked curiously.

"Nearly 60 years," The old lady said as she looked at her husband affectionately. "And after five children, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren… it's safe to say we would do it all over again in a heartbeat if given the chance."

Uraraka couldn't help but smile at how sweet that sounded. After a few seconds, she made her way to Midoriya and Eri, who were still looking at the confectionary selections. "Mission accomplished," she announced. "Shall we head back home?"

Midoriya and Eri nodded; it was getting close to dinnertime anyway. As they made their way to the door, however, the old man called out to them and handed a candy roll encased in festive wrapping. "Something for the little one," he said as he smiled warmly at Eri.

Eri returned his smile as she took the candy and unwrapped it. It was a soft caramel chew with a thick cream in the center. As she took a nibble, the sweet mixture of the two caused her taste buds to dance in pure delight. It was almost as good as the candy apple Midoriya had given her at the cultural festival. "Thank you!" she said with a bright smile as she took ahold of Midoriya and Uraraka's hands and they all left the store.

As they watched them leave, the elderly woman couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "It's funny really," she said as her husband raised an eyebrow with curiosity. "The way she looks at that boy is rather familiar."

Her husband nodded in agreement as he looked at her fondly. "Indeed," he said. "It's the same way you look at me every day." The old woman smiled, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

* * *

 _December 19th_

"So what are you gonna give your parents for Christmas, Eri?" Satsuki asked her friend as they finished drawing their arts and crafts projects. It was the last day of school before Christmas vacation and everyone was buzzing with excitement about where they were going and what they were hoping to get. Monoma Miki kept bragging about how her parents were taking her to the Hawaiian Islands for Christmas and how they would be staying in the penthouse of the most expensive hotel in the state just so they could literally "look down at those beneath them". Kendo Akihito, whose parents were history fans, was going to Aizuwakamatsu for the holidays.

Satsuki was going to be spending Christmas with her brother and parents. Fortunately, Tsuyu was able to convince them to let Satsuki attend 1-A's Christmas Party on Christmas Eve.

"I'm not sure," Eri said worriedly. She hadn't thought about getting her mama and papa a Christmas present. "I really don't have any money, so I can't buy anything."

"Why not something homemade?" Satsuki suggested. "Sis says that the best gifts to give are the ones you make yourself."

Taking in her friend's advice, Eri pondered what she could make for Midoriya and Uraraka. As her eyes moved around the classroom, they fell on something near the door. She smiled widely at the idea and raced over to get started.

* * *

 _December 20th_

Midoriya, Uraraka, and Eri were at the Ginza shopping mall in downtown Tokyo waiting in a long line along with various other families. Mina had insisted that Eri should visit Santa Claus and tell him what she wanted for Christmas, and even though it would probably take a while to actually see Santa, Midoriya and Uraraka thought it would be a wonderful idea. Now standing in line waiting to see St. Nicholas, Eri was jumping up and down excitedly as the line got shorter and shorter.

"Now remember Eri," Uraraka said as she crouched down to Eri's eye level, "When you get up there, he'll ask if you've been good or bad and you answer truthfully. Then, when he asks you what you want, you tell. Okay?" Eri could only nod her head up and down in excitement.

"C'mon, how long does it take to ask the fat guy what you want for Christmas?" the man behind the three called out. "Make up your mind!" Midoriya and Uraraka shook their heads; the man had done nothing but complain the whole time he was there. He complained about the line, the kids that were scared of Santa, the kids that took too long to give an answer... anything that could be even a minor annoyance, he jumped at. At that moment, nearly everyone in line was giving him a look of either annoyance or disgust.

After five minutes, it was Eri's turn to see the guest of honor. The man on the elevated platform appeared to be in his late-50s with a round belly and rosy cheeks. His eyes twinkled wisely. His laughter and speech were booming and excited all the children. "Ho Ho Ho!" he laughed as he picked Eri up and placed her on his lap. "And what's your name, little one?"

"Eri, Mr. Claus." She said with a smile on her face.

"Eri, eh?" Santa asked with a hearty chuckle. "What an adorable name for a girl. And have you been good this year?" At this, Eri began to think back. There was that incident with Miki whom she got into a tussle with at school. There was also the time she carelessly spilled juice over the floor and Iida told her off.

"Hey kid," the guy in line called out. "Answer the stupid question already, will ya? Some of us would like to get this done and over with!" At this, a tick started to form on both Midoriya and Uraraka's heads.

"Well," Eri said as she looked up at Santa, "I haven't been bad… but I haven't been good either."

"I see," Santa said with a kind nod. "Well, not every child is perfect, Eri. So what would you like for Christmas this year?" Again, Eri began to think. There were so many things to ask for, but the one thing she really wanted was-

"Hey, say the wish already!" Both Uraraka and Midoriya were almost stretched to the breaking point as the jerk kept complaining.

Worried that she was making people impatient, Eri motioned to Santa to lean in closer, to which he complied. She then whispered something in his ear and his eyes crinkled as he smiled at her. "I'll see what I can do. Well then, have a great day and a Merry Christmas, Eri!"

"Thanks Santa." The little girl said as she bounced off his lap and took ahold of Midoriya and Uraraka's hands.

"About damn time," the jerk in line mumbled as the 'family' passed by. "Little brat wasting everyone's time on some stupid wish."

Unfortunately for him, those words were just loud enough for Midoriya to hear, who stopped dead in his tracks. "Excuse me girls," he said to both Uraraka and Eri. "I'll be right back." As the girls looked at him in confusion, Midoriya casually made his way over to the man and tapped his shoulder. "Excuse me, sir?"

"Yeah, what do you-?"

 _POW!_

 _CRASH!_

Once the dust had settled, it took everyone a few seconds to register what had happened. Sure enough, the jerk was lying in the makeshift fireplace with his eyes swirling around, knocked out. Midoriya's middle finger was smoking, too, as if he had used his quirk to send the man flying into the fireplace. As the rest of the people in line watched in shock, Midoriya calmly walked up to Santa and muttered something like "Sorry about the mess." Then, he came up to Eri and Uraraka and said "Now we can go." And with Eri giggling and Uraraka shaking her head in humorous annoyance, the three of them left for home.

* * *

 _December 21st_

Eri smiled as she, Akihito, and Satsuki clung to Tsuyu as she leapt from building to building. Today happened to be her birthday and she was going to celebrate it with her new family. Earlier in the week, Midoriya and Uraraka explained that since her birthday was so close to Christmas, it would be best for her to receive her presents on Christmas instead. Fortunately for them, Eri was very understanding. She even mentioned that she didn't want a big celebration; just a nice dinner with Akihito and Satsuki to come over and play. She figured that Christmas was a hectic time of year and she didn't want to add more stress onto her mama and papa.

After a few more minutes, Eri, Tsuyu and Satsuki arrived at Alliance Heights. As soon as they entered, several of the students, including Midoriya and Uraraka, smiled upon seeing Eri. For the next few hours, Eri, Akihito, and Satsuki played with Eri's numerous toys, talked about what they were hoping to get for Christmas, and wondered what the Christmas party would be like. At around six, Eri's favorite dinner was served: dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets with French cut green beans on the side. As soon as dinner was over, Mina dimmed the lights in the kitchen. Soon, Iida came out of the kitchen carrying something that had seven lit candles sticking out of it. As soon as he came into view, the rest of Class 1-A, Akihito, and Satsuki began singing:

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to you!

As Iida set the object down in front of Eri, her eyes widened and she grinned widely at what she saw. It was a birthday cake with vanilla frosting and a colored syrup drawing of All Might.

Happy Birthday, Dear Eri!

Happy Birthday to you!

As soon as the song was over, Eri reached for the cake with excitement. "Not yet, sweetie." Uraraka said before Eri could even touch the frosting.

Noticing his friend's confusion, Akihito said, "First, you make a wish for only yourself to know. Then you blow out the candles."

"And if you blow them all out, it'll come true," Satsuki chimed in with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Eri began to ponder what wish she wanted to come true. There were so many things, like owning a puppy or a kitty, receiving a box full of candy apples, or getting a giant stuffed teddy bear. Suddenly, her eyes sparkled as she thought up the perfect wish. Taking in a deep breath, Eri leaned forward and blew out all the candles on her cake (with a little help from Midoriya and Uraraka without her knowing).

The entire room erupted into cheers as party poppers went off and showered Eri with colorful streamers. After that, the rest of the evening was uneventful… if you didn't count the part where Midoriya was mortified when he saw Bakugou viciously eating his slice of All Might's face. Soon, eight o'clock came around and Tsuyu left with a sleeping Satsuki in her arms. Akihito was picked up a few minutes later by Itsuka, who wished Eri a happy birthday before they left.

As they made their way to the stairs so that Eri could get ready for bed, Midoriya and Uraraka noticed that she was looking down at the ground with a dismal look on her face. "Eri?" Midoriya asked with concern. "Sweetheart, what's the matter? Was the celebration not good?"

"No Papa; it was great. It's just…" Eri said as she cast her eyes down to the floor again. "Well, I made that wish when I blew out the candles…but it didn't come true."

Midoriya and Uraraka's eyes widen in both shock and sadness; they had forgotten that Eri might have taken what Satsuki and Akihito had both said to heart. A thousand thoughts raced through their minds as they tried to think of a logical explanation.

"Aha!" Mashirao suddenly said as he snapped his fingers, having overheard the little girl's distress. He turned to Eri and said, "Wait here; I'll be right back!" And like that, he ran up the stairs, leaving Midoriya, Uraraka, and Eri to all share a look of confusion. A few minutes later, he returned with a small, rectangular, wooden box. "I knew this would come in handy one day," he said as he tried to catch his breath from running.

"What is it?" Eri asked with intrigue.

Mashirao smiled as he displayed the box in all its glory. "This, Eri, is a wishing box."

"A wishing box?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That's right," he said. "This box is meant to store wishes. You whisper your wish into the box so that nobody else can hear it. Once you close the lid, the box will hold onto your wish until it finally comes true."

"But won't that waste the wishes you've already made?" Eri asked with concern and worry.

"I've never used it before," Mashirao said with a chuckle. "I figured it could be put to better use by someone else. Go ahead; try it." He added as he lifted the lid ever so slightly.

As Eri's eyes sparkled with delight, she leaned forward and opened her mouth to speak when she glanced back at Midoriya and Uraraka. They, in turn, faced away from her and playfully covered their ears. Smiling with satisfaction, Eri whispered something into the box. As she pulled away, Mashirao snapped the box shut before stowing it in his back pocket. "I'll hold onto it just so it doesn't get lost or someone ends up throwing it away," he explained.

Eri nodded and then hugged Mashirao with a huge smile. "Thanks, Uncle Mashi," she said.

"No problem, kiddo," Mashirao said as he returned the hug. His eyes then looked up at Midoriya and Uraraka, who were both giving him silent "thank you"s. Mashirao responded with a thumbs up.

Unbeknownst to the small group, Hagakure saw everything and gave an invisible blush at the thought of Mashirao being so good with kids. She sighed dreamily at the thought of having little invisible or visible kids with the man before she silently continued her way up the stairs to her room.

* * *

 _December 22nd_

It was early in the afternoon when Midoriya came face to face with both Mr. Aizawa and Uraraka outside his bedroom door. "I-Is there something wrong, Mr. Aizawa?" Midoriya asked a little nervously.

"No," Aizawa said in an apathetic tone of voice. "I just wanted to let you both know that there are some people downstairs who want to talk to you." And with that, he took his leave.

Midoriya glanced at Uraraka and noticed that she shared the same quizzical look as him. Breathing deeply, they both made their way down to the first floor.

"Ochako, sweetie! It's been too long!"

"There's my little peanut!"

"Izuku, my baby! Look how much you've grown!"

The cries from the people that stood before them caused both Midoriya and Uraraka to smile widely as they ran and embraced them tightly.

"Mom, Dad! I've missed you both so much!" Uraraka said as her parents flashed identical grins at her.

"Mom! What are you doing here?" Midoriya asked as he wrapped his arms around his mother.

"Well, I got off work early today," Inko said as she gave her son a warm smile, "and I was in the area, so I figured that I might as well stop by and say hello."

"And construction has been put on hold due to the impending snowstorm, so your mother and I decided to visit you," Mr. Uraraka said to his daughter. His eyes soon fell on Midoriya and he walked over and stuck out his hand. "So you're the Deku boy, huh?" He asked.

"Y-Yes sir," Midoriya said, slightly intimidated by the man's bulky physique. "But actually, it's Midoriya."

"I see," Mr. Uraraka said. "Well, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, boy!" he exclaimed wholeheartedly.

"Indeed," Mrs. Uraraka said as Midoriya took Mr. Uraraka's hand and shook it. "Our little Ochako has told us so much about you."

"You told your parents about me?" Midoriya asked as he looked at Uraraka. Her cheeks turned bright red at the question.

"Maybe… one or two things," She responded meekly.

"Excuse me," Inko said as she looked at Uraraka, "But you wouldn't happen to be the girl my Izuku has told me about so much, would you?"

"I g-g-guess so," Uraraka said nervously as she bowed to Inko. "Either way, i-it's n-nice to meet you, Mrs. Midoriya. I'm Ochako Uraraka."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, dear," Inko said with a smile. "From what Izuku's told me, it would seem you two share a deep connec-"

"Say, I have an idea!" Midoriya exclaimed suddenly with a beet red face. "Why don't you three take a seat and Uraraka and I will get refreshments?"

As the adults took their respective seats in the living room, Midoriya and Uraraka began to prep some tea and water. All the while, neither one of them glanced at each other as they both shared a pinkish hue on their faces.

"Um…hello."

The sound of a small and familiar voice caused Midoriya and Uraraka to turn their heads and see Eri staring at their parents, all of whom wore a mixture of surprise and confusion on their faces. It was at that moment that both students came to a horrible realization. 'OH CRAP!' they both thought. 'I FORGOT TO TELL MY PARENTS/MOM ABOUT ERI!'

"Izuku," Inko asked as she glanced up at her son, "d-does UA have a daycare program?"

"N-N-N-No." Midoriya stuttered as both he and Uraraka shook like leaves.

"I live here," Eri chimed in as she kept her distance from the three adults she had never met before.

"Oh…how nice," Mrs. Uraraka said even though she still sounded confused.

"I'm sorry to ask," Mr. Uraraka began as he continued to look at Eri, "but who are your parents?" And before Midoriya and Uraraka could even stop her, Eri raised her arm and pointed her index finger at them.

A sudden silence loomed over the living room and kitchen as the little girl's gesture sank in. Midoriya and Uraraka made no movement nor speech in fear of setting one of their parents off. For a few minutes, nobody made a sound while Eri looked around in confusion until-

"WAAAAAAAAAHH!" Inko cried out in pure terror as tears pour out of her eyes like waterfalls. "I HAD A FEELING THIS WOULD HAPPEN! LETTING MY SON LIVE IN A COED DORM! I DIDN'T WANNA THINK IT AT FIRST, BUT NOW IT'S EVIDENT! MY BABY BOY'S A GIGOLO!"

"W-W-What?!" Midoriya exclaimed in a panic as his face turned beet red. "N-N-No mom, i-i-it's not like that, i-i-it's just-" He immediately stopped when he heard a menacing growl coming from behind him. As Midoriya slowly turned around, his eyes widened in terror as he looked into the deathly glare of Mr. Uraraka. Almost instantly, Midoriya scampered away from him until his back hit the wall.

"You little punk." Mr. Uraraka said as he cracked his knuckles and moved slowly towards the boy. "I'M GONNA MAKE YOU PAY FOR DEFILING MY BABY GIRL!"

"Dad, no! Don't kill him!" Uraraka yelled as she leaped forward and grabbed her father by the waist in the hopes of holding him back. Unfortunately, it was to no avail as Mr. Uraraka's superior build and determination outmatched Uraraka's and the Gravity User's feet were dragged on the floor as she clung to her father's waist. "Mrs. Midoriya," she said as she directed her attention to the hysterical woman while still trying to hold her father back, "Please, w-we n-n-never…I-I-I-I mean we didn't…"

The banter between the four echoed throughout the dormitory. Most of the students who heard were tempted to help, but decided against it so as to not worsen the situation. Even Bakugou, who was annoyed by the yelling and crying, knew from experience not to reason with a hysterical Inko Midoriya.

Uraraka, Inko, Mr. Uraraka, and Midoriya were so wrapped up in their antics that they didn't notice Mrs. Uraraka sucking in a lungful of air and placing two fingers in her mouth.

"WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" The whistle that emitted from Mrs. Uraraka's mouth was so loud the others had to cover their ears to deafen the noise. Once the whistling had ceased, the others turned to a stern Mrs. Uraraka, who pointed a finger at the corner of the living room. Uraraka and Midoriya's eyes fell onto where she pointed and gave a small gasp as they saw Eri huddled in the corner, rocking back and forth and crying.

"I messed up." Eri mumbled through tears. "E-E-Everyone's mad b-because of me. I-I-I r-r-ruined e-everything."

Midoriya and Uraraka began to make their way to her, but were stopped by Mrs. Uraraka who had held out her hand and shot a glare at both of them. As the two students backed away slightly, Mrs. Uraraka lowered her hand and slowly walked over to Eri. "There, there," she said softly as she crouched down and placed a gentle hand on Eri's head. "It's alright. Nobody's upset with you. There's just a bit of a misunderstanding, that's all."

"S-So," Eri said as she sniffled a bit with tears still in her eyes, "You're not…mad at me?"

"No, of course not, dear." Mrs. Uraraka said. "You did nothing wrong. Here," She added as she pulled out a handkerchief and wiped Eri's tears away. She then picked the little girl up and held her close to her chest as she rubbed Eri's back in a circular motion to sooth her. Soon Eri began to calm down and ceased to cry. "Better?" Mrs. Uraraka asked with a small smile, to which Eri nodded silently.

"Now then," Mrs. Uraraka said as her gaze fell on the others. "If we could all have a seat and act rationally, I'm sure there's a logical reason to all of this if we just let Ochako and Midoriya explain. Ochako, here." She added as she handed Eri back to Uraraka, who gave the little girl a kiss on the head to ensure her that she was not to blame. With that said, Inko and the Urarakas sat down on one couch while Midoriya and Uraraka sat across from them on the other couch. "Now," Mrs. Uraraka said once everyone had settled, "how about you two start from the beginning?"

And with that, Midoriya and Uraraka told their parents everything. Midoriya running into Eri, the mission to rescue her, battling Overhaul and the Eight Precepts of Death, losing Sir Nighteye, and Nezu granting Midoriya temporary guardianship over Eri. Once they had completed their story, they saw their parents with mixtures of shock and sadness on their faces.

"My," Inko said, staring at Izuku, "that's…that's certainly a lot to take in."

"But I'm still confused," Mr. Uraraka said as he glanced back and forth at the two students. "Why does she call you two her 'Mama' and 'Papa'?"

"Well, our friend Iida had a theory behind that," Midoriya explained. "The thing is… Eri's never really had any positive parental role models in her life. She was surrounded by people who either didn't care about her or lied to her. Due to the fact that she ran into me when she tried to escape and I helped save her, she automatically saw me as the father figure she never really had. So, she calls me her 'Papa'."

"The same for me," Uraraka chimed in. "Since I helped rescue her and I was the first female figure to show her kindness when she arrived here, she immediately saw me as a mother figure and, as a result, calls me her 'Mama'."

"I see," Mr. Uraraka said with a sigh of relief as the matter was cleared.

"So you both have to take care of Eri by yourselves?" Mrs. Uraraka asked.

"Not entirely," Midoriya said. "Even though I'm technically in charge of her well-being, Uraraka does her fair share of raising Eri." Fortunately for Uraraka, he had failed to notice the smile that grew on her face at his words. "And even our classmates help out as well." He added as he used his fingers to count off. "Kirishima cooks her breakfast every other day, Tsuyu takes her to and from school and sets up playdates with her sister Satsuki, Yaoyorozu reads her a bedtime story every night, Iida and Todoroki help her with her homework. Heck, even Mashirao gives Eri fighting lessons in case she can't use her Quirk."

The sense of confidence that emulated from both Midoriya and Uraraka started to falter, however, when they noticed their parents were looking at each other and sharing a look of concern on each of their faces. "What?" Uraraka asked.

"Listen, we all know you two mean well," Mr. Uraraka said slowly as the adults looked back at the students, "but we just feel uncomfortable about the fact that you two are still in high school and yet the principal has placed you in charge of a child who is about half your age. Even with the help you both receive from your classmates, raising a child is not an easy task."

"Exactly," Inko said in agreement. "And what happens if she gets sick or hurt? Do you two know what to do in a situation like that? Do you know how to discipline her if she ever gets out of line? Do you two know how to-"

"Mom, stop." Midoriya said with an aura of frustration and seriousness, causing his mother to stop talking. "I get why you're all worried about this situation. But it wasn't just Principal Nezu's decision to put me in charge of Eri… it was also my choice as well. Sir Nighteye died trying to save Eri and make this world a little less dark. I owe him a debt that I may never be able to repay. Do you know what his last words were before he died? He said 'Society needs smiles, laughs, and energy to bring about a brighter future'. Every time I do something that makes Eri either laugh or smile, it's as though his last wish is being fulfilled." He then glanced down at Eri with a smile before saying, "and I am more than willing to help raise Eri if it means accomplishing that."

"Mom, Dad," Uraraka said as her attention turned to her parents. "Do you remember the time when we went to the park and I tried to defend that little boy from those bullies right before Dad stepped in? You told me to always do what I thought was right, no matter what. And if that means giving Eri love, affection, and someone to call her 'Mama', than I am more than willing to do it because it's what I feel is right."

As their children finished their speeches, the Urarakas and Inko couldn't help but smile a little at how much they had grown up since they began attending UA. It amazed them that these were the same children that they read bedtime stories to and comforted them when they needed it.

"Interesting." Mrs. Uraraka said. "Well, the three of us may still be unsure about this whole situation. But if you two feel that what you are doing is right, then we wouldn't intervene."

"Thank you," Uraraka said as both she and Midoriya smiled at their parents.

"Now that that's said and done, how about I make that pot of tea?" Mr. Uraraka asked as he made his way to the kitchen. "Oh, and Midoriya?"

"Yes sir?"

"I think my daughter would like her hand back, if you don't mind."

Confused, both Midoriya and Uraraka looked down, only for their eyes to widen at what he meant. At some point during their counterarguments, the two of them had managed to link their hands together without either one of them noticing. A light shade of pink covered their faces as they retracted said hand and yelped "SORRY!" Inko and Mrs. Uraraka smiled sweetly at how adorable their children reacted toward each other while Eri could only look on in confusion.

The rest of the visit went fairly well. Midoriya and Uraraka told them about what they had learned and how they were honing their skills as heroes-in-training. Eri told them about what she was learning in school, to which Inko and Mrs. Uraraka were impressed by. She even showed a few of her toys to Mr. Uraraka, who was more than willing to play with her after the whole fiasco.

Soon, however, it was time for the parents to leave. As they gathered up their coats and winter boots, Eri motioned for Inko to lean forward. As she did, the little girl whispered something in her ear. The older woman smiled as she rose up and said, "I'll see if I have any that might work." to which Eri smiled in kind.

"It was great to see you, sweetie," Mrs. Uraraka said as she gave her daughter a tight hug. "And it was good to see you too, Midoriya."

"Indeed," Mr. Uraraka said in agreement. "And again, sorry about threatening you earlier."

"I-It's alright," Midoriya said. "There was just a lack of information."

"Be sure to call me on Christmas, will you?" Inko asked her son.

"You know I will, Mom." He smiled. Inko smiled too as she stood up on tiptoes and gave Midoriya a peck on the cheek.

"Bye!" The three adults called out as they made their way to their cars.

"Bye!" Midoriya and Uraraka called back as they waved. "Go on Eri," Uraraka said to the little girl holding her hand. "Say goodbye."

Waving her little hand, Eri called out "Goodbye, Grandma and Grandpa! Goodbye, Grandma!"

At these words, Midoriya and Uraraka froze in shock and the adults whipped their heads up in surprise. "SOI'LLCALLYOUONCHRISTMAS, BYE MOM AND DAD!" Midoriya and Uraraka cried out in hasty terror as they slammed the door shut and slumped to the floor in exhaustion.

* * *

 _December 23rd_

"Hey Eri," Kaminari said as Eri's head perked up from her book. "Wanna help me and Jirō decorate the Christmas tree?"

"Sure!" Eri exclaimed excitedly as she raced over to the Electricity and Earphone Jack users. She soon stopped at a bare fir tree with a box of assorted Christmas lights and ornaments.

"So how are we gonna do this?" Kaminari asked as he placed a hand on his chin. "Maybe we could untangle all the lights, plug them in, and then wrap them around the tree."

"Plugging them in would either cause a short fuse or run the electricity cost up." Jirō said as she rolled her eyes at him. "You untangle those wires while Eri and I separate the ornaments from heaviest to lightest."

With that, Jirō began removing all of the boxes that contained the heavy ornaments while Eri gathered all the ones containing the lighter ornaments. As they placed them well away from Kaminari and the Christmas lights, Eri noticed that there were a variety of different colors and shapes. As she and Jirō began sorting and picking out which ones to put on the tree, Eri noticed some of the small ornaments were actually fairly heavy and some of the medium to large ones were hollow and light.

"Hey Kaminari," Jirō stated after a good thirty minutes, "You done untangling the lights?"

"Um…almost," Kaminari said hesitantly. "I may have hit a slight snag, though."

"What are you…" Jirō couldn't finish her sentence for she had just glanced up to see Kaminari in an awkward position. At some point, he had wrapped himself up in the Christmas lights. His legs were attached together and it looked like he couldn't move them. His arms were also wrapped to his sides, making it difficult to move them as well. Even his face was covered in the festive lights. Shaking her head while Eri giggled a bit, Jirō said "Maybe we should just ditch the tree and hang the ornaments on you."

As Jirō turned her back to the Electricity User, Kaminari glanced down at Eri and motioned for her to come closer. "Hey Eri," he said when she did, "Wanna see something cool?" As soon as Eri nodded, Kaminari freed his right hand from his confines and activated his Quirk at a low setting. He then reached up and placed two fingers on a wire that was touching his right cheek. Instantly, the red bulb that was on his nose flickered on and off.

Upon seeing Kaminari's trick, Eri could help but burst out laughing at how he looked like a certain red-nosed reindeer. "Auntie Jirō, Auntie Jirō!" She said through her fits of laughter. "Uncle Kami's just like Rudolph!"

Jirō looked at Kaminari with a deadpanned look on her face and glanced away. 'He's like a child,' she thought. 'Not only that, but he's also a pervert and an idiot most of the time.' Hearing Eri's continued laugh, however, Jirō couldn't help but smile a little out of view of the others. 'But…he means well and when he's not an idiot or a pervert, he's a nice guy. Who knows? He might even be a good fath-' She snapped back to reality before she could even finish that thought. Realizing that her cheeks were slightly warm at the thought of Kaminari being a father, Jirō accidently activated her Quirk and stabbed him in the head, earning a cry of pain from the Electricity user and a gasp from Eri.

After the Christmas tree was decorated and Eri had a pb&j sandwich and cut-up apple for lunch **(AN: my favorite, by the way (EN: same here))** , Midoriya and Uraraka suggested that they all go outside and enjoy the snow. The others agreed; it would be nice to get out of the house since they were all on vacation. Besides, it had been a while since Eri had actually played in the snow.

As the other students began dressing for the extreme conditions, Midoriya and Uraraka fitted Eri into her snow pants, snow boots, winter coat, mittens, scarf, and winter hat. When asked if she was ready to head outside, Eri could only give a small thumbs-up with her mitten.

As Eri and Class 1-A walked outside, the little girl's eyes sparkled with wonder at the snow falling from the sky. She stuck her hand and watched with delight as a snowflake gently landed on it and melted upon contact. Midoriya and Uraraka chuckled a bit at the aura of adorableness Eri was emitting.

"Hey Eri," Mina said excitedly, "try catching them with your tongue. It's fun!" She then proceeded to stick out her tongue until a snowflake landed on it.

Eri followed suit and, soon enough, a snowflake landed on her tongue. "Needs more sugar, Auntie," she said innocently. **(AN: Kudos to those who get the holiday reference)**

"SNOWBALL FIGHT!" Mineta cried out as he gathered ammo.

"Absolutely not," Iida said sternly. "Snowball fights are dangerous, childish, and are a bad influence on the younger genera-" His sentence was interrupted as Mineta had taken the opportunity to hit him in the face with one. As the snow slid off his face, Iida's eyes darkened. "It. Is. On." He gathered some snow to make his own.

Soon, everyone in Class 1-A was hurling snowballs left and right, not caring who they hit. "Stay close to me, sweetie," Ochako said as a snowball sailed inches above her only to come into contact with Sato. Eri nodded vigorously as she watched the projectiles whiz around her in every direction.

"Got you now, Round Face!" A hauntingly familiar voice called out. Both girls turned around to see Bakugou charging toward them with a snowball in his hand and an evil grin on his face. Ochako looked around trying to find another snowball, but she used her last one on Mina. Thinking fast, she lifted Eri up and held her out in front of her. Seeing this, Bakugou planted his heels firmly into the snow, skidding to a halt mere inches from the little girl's face. "Hey no fair, Round Face!" Bakugou yelled. "You can't use the kid as a human shield! Put her down and-"

 _THWAP!_

During Bakugou's tirade, Eri had taken the opportunity to hit him in the face with a snowball. Upon seeing the Explosion User's snow-covered face, Ochako was finding it difficult to not laugh out loud. The snow quickly melted off Bakugou's face as he gnashed his teeth in anger and rage. "Run." He said through gritted teeth.

"Run, Eri! Run for the hills!" Ochako exclaimed as she placed Eri down and both ran away from Bakugou, who was using his Quirk to try and catch up to them. As the two went in opposite directions, Bakugou started chasing after Eri. Upon realizing this, Eri moved her legs as fast as she could.

As she continued to make a beeline for a place to hide, Eri was suddenly yanked from behind and pulled into a makeshift wall of snow. She opened her eyes to gaze up at Shouto and Momo's puzzled faces. "And what exactly are you running from, Eri?" Shouto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Kacchan." Eri said as she rubbed the back of her head and gave a sheepish smile. "I…may have thrown a snowball at his face."

'That explains a lot.' Both students thought.

"Well then," Momo said with a sigh, "Guess we'll have to fix that, huh?"

"But how?" Eri asked with curiousity.

"Don't worry." Shouto said. "We've got a plan."

"KID!" The unmistakable voice of Bakugou called out in anger. "Where are you? You can't hide forever!" His eyes then fell on the snow wall and a smirk grew on his face. "So that's where you're hiding." He said as he made his way over. He was barely six feet away from the wall, however, when Shouto and Momo popped up with a snowball in each hand. Another quick glance caused Bakugou to also notice the huge pile of snowballs behind Shouto. "Oh you mother-" He began, but was interrupted when his fellow classmates began pelting him with snowballs.

While this was going on, Eri handed snowballs to Shouto and Momo as they continued to hurl them at Bakugou. The onslaught continued for a good five minutes until the trio ran out of snowballs. Eri glanced over the wall and tried to look for Bakugou, but he was nowhere to be found. Her eyes soon fell on an arm that was sticking out under a pile of snow and was twitching in agitation.

"Now that he'll have some time to cool off," Momo said as she wiped her hands and looked down at Eri, "How about we go look for Uraraka? She's probably worried sick about you."

"Okay." Eri said as she took Momo and Shouto's hands. And with that, the trio left to join the others while Bakugou was gritting his teeth in anger under a pile of snow.

'That kid is gonna be the fucking death of me.' He thought as he tried to pull himself out.

* * *

 _December 24th_

"Okay Eri, just hold still for a few more seconds." Uraraka said as she worked on the bow in Eri's hair. It was Christmas Eve and Class 1-A was hosting a party for themselves, their teachers, and a few others. For the big event, Momo had bought Eri a traditional plaid holiday dress with a red cardigan, black leggings, and shiny black shoes. The dress also came with a hairbow. **(AN: I will have the picture of the dress posted on Wattpad so you all get a better understanding of what it looks like.)**

"And we are done!" Uraraka exclaimed as she finished tying the bow. Eri stepped down from the circular stand and twirled a bit, causing the bottom of the dress to sway. "You look absolutely beautiful, sweetie!" Uraraka said with a smile.

"Thanks Mama!" Eri said as she glanced up at Uraraka. "You look pretty too!" Uraraka was wearing green pants with a red turtleneck sweater. She was also wearing a perfume meant to smell like peppermint.

Uraraka planted a kiss on Eri's cheek, causing the little girl to giggle. "Now," Uraraka said as she stood up and extended her hand out to Eri, "let's see if Deku's ready." The little girl nodded and took Uraraka's hand as the two of them exited the room and made their way downstairs. Soon they came across the second floor and knocked on Midoriya's door. As the door opened to reveal the One for All user, both Uraraka and Eri's eyes widen at the blue wool All Might sweater he was wearing. 'Is there anything he owns that isn't All Might-themed?' Both girls thought in unison.

"Ready for the party, Eri?" Midoriya asked as he glanced down at the little girl. Smiling as she nodded vigorously in excitement, he took her free hand and accompanied both her and Uraraka down to the party.

As soon as her gaze was level with the ceiling, Eri's eyes widened in surprise and awe. The living room and kitchen were covered in festive decorations with colored balls and lights hanging from the ceiling. Around the room were electric candles perched on the windowsills while the lights were dimmed to give an aura of calmness and tranquility. The Christmas tree was fully decorated and lit up, adding to the festive ambiance. There were even tables with a wide variety of food and sweets.

As soon as she was visible for all to see, many of the girls and some of the boys crowded around Eri and commented on how beautiful and adorable she looked in her dress. Momo was particularly pleased that Eri liked it, considering it was her personal favorite as well.

"Hey Eri!" Satsuki called out among the crowd.

"Hey Satsuki!" Eri said as she ran to her best friend. Satsuki was wearing the exact same dress Eri had on, except that hers was green. She also had a green bow tied up in her hair.

"You look lovely in that dress." Eri turned around to see a gangly man with a sunken face and blond hair sticking out in all directions. He smiled as her own eyes and smile widened.

"Grandpa Might!" Eri exclaimed as she ran to the former pro-hero.

"You hoping Santa will give you lots of presents tomorrow morning?" All Might asked as he knelt down and pet the top of Eri's head. Eri nodded vigorously as All Might chuckled a bit.

Meanwhile, at the walkway that connected the kitchen and the living room, Uraraka and Midoriya couldn't help but smile as they saw Eri talking to All Might. She seemed so happy being surrounded by things that she hadn't seen in years and people who cared about her. Slowly but surely, they knew she was on the path to a full recovery.

"Hey Ochako, Midoriya!" Mina said as she gave a sly smile and pointed upward. "Take a look above you."

It only took half a millisecond for both Uraraka and Midoriya to look up before their faces turned an equal shade of pink. Hanging right in between them was a stem of mistletoe. Their faces soon lowered as they stared at each other and sweat began to pour out of their faces like waterfalls. Some of the other students began to crowd with looks of either anticipation or sly grins on their faces. As the seconds ticked by, neither Uraraka nor Midoriya moved a muscle out of fear until… "I-I-I just remembered!" Midoriya exclaimed. "I g-g-g-gotta go check on the ham!"

"A-And I gotta see if we have enough n-n-napkins!" Ochako said quickly. And with that, both students ran off at break-neck speed. Those who stuck around to see the show left the scene either mumbling words of disappointment or groaning.

Mina, however, was beside herself. "Are. You. KIDDING ME?" she cried out in frustration. "I FRICKIN' GIFTWRAPPED THAT FOR THEM!" Just then, there was a knock at the front door. Calming down, Mina casually walked over and opened it to greet the newcomers. "So glad you guys could make it. She'll be so excited to see you again. Eri!" she called out. "Look who's here."

Eri, meanwhile, was talking to her 'Grandpa' when she heard Mina call out her name. Confused, she turned around to see Mina along with the new guests. Eri's eyes widened with happiness as she recognized the newcomers. "Uncle Mirio! Uncle Tamaki! Auntie Neji!" She cried out as she ran toward UA's Big Three.

Mirio Togata gave his signature smile as he leaned forward and picked Eri up. He then playfully tossed her into the air before catching her and holding her in his arms. "Merry Christmas, Eri!" he exclaimed in his boisterous voice. Tamaki Amajiki only responded with a mere "Hi" while Nejire Hado greeted Eri with a "Merry Christmas" and a kiss on her right cheek.

With Togata still carrying Eri, the Big Three made their way towards their fellow interns. Amajiki met up with Kirishima, who was more than thrilled to see him. Togata and Hado made their way toward the opposite end of the room where they saw…

"Midoriya!"

"Uraraka!"

The two student's heads perked up at the sound of their names being called out. They turned and immediately smiled as they saw their upperclassmen heading their way. "Togata! Hado!" they called out as they walked toward them.

"Glad to see you two are doing well," Hado said cheerfully as she pulled Uraraka into a tight embrace.

"We're just so glad you three could make it!" Midoriya said excitedly.

"As if we would miss out on seeing this little one," Mirio said as he playfully tickled Eri, causing her to giggle. He then placed her down, which prompted her to run and find Satsuki.

"She seems to be enjoying herself," Hado chimed in as she, Togata, Midoriya, and Uraraka watched the little girl leave. Midoriya and Uraraka both nodded in agreement as they watched Eri fondly. "But in all seriousness," Togata said as he placed a hand on Midoriya's shoulder while Hado did the same towards Uraraka, "we're both very proud of you for doing this for her. She seems to be enjoying her life with you and the rest of your class."

"There are times where it's been hard," Midoriya said. "But in the end, it's worth it."

"I can imagine," Togata said simply. "And if he were here to see how happy she is now, I'm sure that Sir Nighteye would also be very proud of you, Midoriya." Midoriya only nodded in response.

Meanwhile, Eri and Satsuki were shuffling stealthily with their backs pressed up against the wall. Their target: chocolate chip cookies on the dessert table. "Are you sure we won't get caught, Eri?" Satsuki asked.

"Of course we won't," Eri said with confidence. "Everyone's distracted. We just need to get to the table and we're home-free!" With the matter settled, both girls moved through the crowd with cat-like reflexes until they had reached their destination. Both pairs of eyes widen in anticipation as Eri reached for the chocolatey morsels.

"Don't even think about having one of those til' after dinner, young lady."

Uraraka's call caused Eri to retract her hand back and swivel her head to try and find her Mama. She soon found her talking to Hado casually as if nothing had happened. 'How did she even know?' She thought in confusion. Both Eri and Satsuki sighed in defeat as they walked away from the dessert table.

"Psst, Eri," A voice whispered out to her. Both girls turned to see All Might with his back facing them. Their eyes glanced downward and widened as they noticed two cookies in his right hand.

"Thanks Grandpa!" Eri said happily as she and Satsuki took the cookies and ran off.

All Might smiled a bit as he turned to get some more eggnog. He stepped back, however, when he came face to face with Midoriya and Uraraka, the latter of whom was glaring up at the former pro hero.

"Uh…" All Might said nervously as Uraraka's eyes bore into him. "I read somewhere that it's the job of the grandparent to spoil their grandchild…?" He then gave a weak and hopeful smile that the excuse would save him from the wrath of Uraraka's motherly instincts.

Uraraka only sighed in defeat. "Well, since it is Christmas, I guess I can let it slide," she said as All Might sighed in relief and Midoriya rubbed the back of his neck while laughing sheepishly.

Thirty minutes later, dinner was served. There was a whole plethora of foods: baked ham, roasted potatoes, buttered green beans, stuffing, carrots, squash, cranberry sauce, and buttered rolls. Eri made it a point to try a little of everything, thus helping Midoriya and Ochako to know what dishes she would like in the future. Dinner was mostly quiet until Kaminari and Mineta started fighting over the wishbone. When Kaminari came out the victor, the miniature pervert tackled him, claiming that he was robbed of his wish. They only stopped fighing when Jirō stabbed Kaminari with her earjacks and Bakugou karate-chopped Mineta on the head, knocking him out instantly. **(AN: My best guess is that Mineta's wish was a key the Playboy Mansion (EN: or to the girl's dorm rooms))**

After dinner was finished, there was a sudden knock on the door. Mina raced over and opened it with a smile on her face. "Hey girl!" She said excitedly. "Didn't think you were gonna make it."

"Yeah, Power Loader put me on cleaning duty before the holiday break!" Hatsume said as she entered the dormitory. "But I'm here and ready to party! Wassup, Class 1-A?" The rest of the class kindly said "Hi" in return while Uraraka merely responded with a friendly wave.

The only person who wasn't happy with Hatsume being at the party was Eri. She still hadn't gotten over the incident back on Halloween. When Hatsume greeted everyone, Eri didn't greet her back. Instead, she put on an adorable pout and stared daggers at the pink-haired girl.

"You're just in time," Midoriya said. "We haven't even gotten to the Christmas cake yet."

"Sweet!" Hatsume replied happily. "By the way, Midoriya, I have something for you," she added as she walked toward the boy.

With speed fast enough to rival Iida, Eri ran from her chair until she was standing right between Midoriya and Hatsume. She then stretched her arms out in a protective stance and glared at the mechanic standing before her.

Chuckling, Hatsume looked down at the little girl and said, "I come in peace, kid. Anyway," she said as she glanced back at Midoriya, "the High Density Weights that you ordered were just completed today."

"Sweet!" Midoriya said as he saw the devices. "I always wanted to use these!"

"Oh, Iida!" Hatsume said as she directed her attention to the class rep. Upon hearing her call his name, Iida immediately stiffened. He still hadn't forgiven Hatsume for the way she used their fight during the Sports Festival to commercialize her support items, "I'm glad you're here." Hatsume continued, not even noticing the frozen atmosphere Iida gave off by looking at her. "I wanted to tell you that I just completed something for your brother; it should be at his place by tomorrow."

At the mention of his brother, Iida's expression changed from annoyance to a mixture of puzzlement and surprise. "Um…thanks," he said, unsure of how to even respond to such a statement.

"And I have something for Eri as well." Hatsume handed a bundle to the girl.

Eri cautiously took the present, which felt light to the touch. She then looked to Uraraka for permission to open it. When she responded with a nod, Eri opened the parcel. Her curiosity was further piqued when it was revealed to be a one-piece suit. But what made the suit so unique was the fact that it was green, had a hood with eye-holes, and had rabbit-like ears on top. In addition, the design on the body made it look like it was a superhero costume. It almost looked like…

"It's a onesie," Uraraka said as she glanced at the suit. "And from the looks of it, I think it's meant to look like yours, Deku!" At this, Midoriya took a second look at the onesie. She was absolutely right; the ears, the design on the body portion, and even the footwear were all similar to his own hero costume. The evidence was clear enough: Hatsume had made Eri a Deku onesie.

"Yeah," Hatsume said with a smile, "that took a lot longer to make than the equipment. I've never sewn before and I had to go through twenty suits before I got it right!"

"What do you say to Hatsume, Eri?" Midoriya asked as the little girl's eyes sparkled with delight at her Christmas present.

Eri suddenly stiffened at the fact that she had to thank the girl that always got too up close and personal with her papa. Swallowing her pride and putting personal displeasure aside, Eri turned to look at the mechanic but stared downward as she muttered "Thank you."

"I'll take it," Hatsume said with a chuckle.

The rest of the party continued when Kirishima brought out the Christmas cake. Eri and Satsuki's eyes widened with excitement at the sight of the cake, which was covered with white frosting and had strawberries cut with frosting in between them on top of it. There was also a little plastic Santa and a plastic Rudolph on top as well. Once the cake had been distributed, Eri ended up with the Santa on top of her slice while Satsuki had Rudolph on hers.

After everyone had eaten their piece, Momo noticed that the hands on the clock rested at 8:30pm. "How about I read you The Night Before Christmas before you both go to bed?" she asked Eri and Satsuki. Both girls nodded in excitement; Momo always told the best stories. Momo then situated herself onto the middle of the couch while Uraraka sat to her right and Tsuyu sat to her left. Then, Uraraka picked Eri up and sat her on her lap while Tsuyu did the same for Satsuki. Meanwhile, most of Class 1-A gathered around the other chairs and pieces of furniture to listen in on the classic story. The only exceptions were Bakugou, who said he didn't want to listen in on some "stupid kid's story", and Mineta, who was not interested in a story that didn't have centerfolds in the middle.

Once everyone was situated, Momo pulled out the book and flipped through the first page. She then cleared her throat and read, "'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house; Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there…'" Throughout the entire reading, Eri kept a huge smile on her face while listening intently. She giggled a bit when Momo read the description of Santa. Meanwhile, Uraraka and Midoriya couldn't help but smile at her adorableness.

Twenty minutes later, Momo had almost reached the end of the story. "'He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.'" She paused to glance at Eri and Satsuki, only to find both of them fast asleep with Eri resting her head against Uraraka's chest and Satsuki resting hers on Tsuyu's. Momo smiled as she resumed the story. "'But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight - Merry Christmas to all…'" She paused once again as she closed the book. She then leaned forward and gently kissed Eri on the head before whispering "'and to all a good night!'"

With the story done, the Christmas party was deemed officially over. Tsuyu left to drop Satsuki back home, the guests left, Class 1-A started cleaning up, and Midoriya and Uraraka put Eri to bed before rejoining their classmates.

* * *

 _December 25th_

"Eri! Eri, wake up!" Uraraka said as she desperately tried to shake the little girl awake. Her excited pleas were only met with groans.

"Five more minutes, Mama," Eri said grumpily as she pulled her blanket over her head.

Seeing her act of resistance, Uraraka began to ponder how to get Eri out of bed. 'Maybe the reveal of breakfast will get her up.' She thought. But then another strategy popped into her head that made her smirk a bit. It was the same technique that her parents used to get her up on Christmas when she was little. "Alright." She said, trying to sound as casual as possible. "Then I guess you don't want to open your presents."

Almost instantly, Eri sat up in bed with her hair sticking out in all directions. "Presents?" She asked. She then glanced at the calendar on Uraraka's wall and her mouth widened into a smile as she noticed the circle around the number 25. "It's…IT'S CHRISTMAS!" she excitedly exclaimed.

As she made a beeline for the door, she soon felt herself running in place. She then turned back to see Uraraka grabbing the back of her shirt with just three fingers and a smile on her face. "How about we take a bath first?" the UA student asked as the little girl ceased her running.

"Okay," Eri said as Uraraka loosened her grip.

Uraraka then picked up the little girl and gave her a peck on the cheek. "And Merry Christmas, sweetie," she said.

Eri then kissed her on the cheek as well and said, "Merry Christmas, Mama!"

And with that, the two girls went off to the showers to get cleaned up. Afterwards, Uraraka changed into black pants and a pink sweater while Eri changed into a white shirt with Rudolph on the front, black leggings, and a black skirt. She then took Uraraka's hand and followed her downstairs.

When they reached the ground floor, everyone was there waiting for them to arrive. Upon noticing them, everyone cried out in happiness with some wishing Eri a "Merry Christmas." Midoriya himself greeted her with a kiss on the cheek; he was wearing a green shirt and green pants.

"Merry Christmas, Eri!" Kirishima said as he held a plate of cinnamon pancakes with apple topping on it. "I hope you're hungry."

Eri's eyes widen at the breakfast she saw before her. The mixed aroma of apple and cinnamon caused her sense of smell to go into overdrive and she had to summon all of her willpower not to drool in excitement and anticipation. Once she sat down and said "Itadakimasu," she then proceeded to take a bite out of the delicious breakfast.

It felt as though she had entered food nirvana. The pancakes were so light and fluffy and yet not runny. In addition, the amount of cinnamon in each flapjack was just perfect: not too much for her to cough on and yet not too little for the flavor to be undetectable. As for the apples, they were soft and yet firm enough to chew on while the sauce was warm and sweet. The combination of the cinnamon in the pancakes and the tartness of the apples was enough to make Eri to close her eyes and smile blissfully from the sensation.

"I take it you like them?" Kirishima asked with a chuckle.

"They're delicious! Thanks, Uncle Shima!" Eri exclaimed delightedly as she took another bite of the delectable morsel. After breakfast, Midoriya and Uraraka took Eri into the living room where she gasped with surprise and awe. There were several wrapped gifts of all different shapes and sizes under the Christmas tree, some of which she noticed had her name on them. A sideways glance caused her to see an empty plate and glass and a note where she had left out milk and cookies for Santa. As she opened the letter, it read:

 _Dear Eri,_

 _Thank you so much for the milk and cookies. They were delicious._

 _I hope you enjoy the gifts I've given you; you do deserve them for being such a good little girl, after all._

 _Merry Christmas, my dear!_

 _Santa Claus_

Eri grinned as she read the letter and showed it to everyone. When she wasn't looking, Midoriya silently fist-bumped Hanta for thinking up the idea of the letter and writing it himself.

Once that was finished, Class 1-A began opening their presents. Shouto had given Momo a complete Russian doll collection that she had been eyeing during the holiday season. She bowed repeatedly and thanked him with a face as pink as Mina's skin. Mina, meanwhile, presented Kirishima with a framed picture of Crimson Riot, and Kirishima's eyes widened as he saw a message and autograph from the pro hero himself. The gift resulted in Kirishima unexpectedly kissing Mina in gratitude before realizing what he was doing and pulling back. In turn, Mina kiss-tackled him to the ground, causing a few students to wolf-whistle and cheer for them while Midoriya and Uraraka covered Eri's eyes and ears.

Uraraka gave Midoriya a new notebook for him to use for future battles, which resulted in him crying out waterfalls. After he had calmed down, Midoriya then handed Uraraka a box of holiday-themed mochi. This resulted in Uraraka hugging Midoriya and, in turn, caused the One for All user to go into a state of shock from being hugged by a girl for the first time in his life.

Eri seemed to enjoy gift-opening the most out of everyone. She was practically beaming from ear to ear at all the gifts she received, including a collection of books from Momo, a new training gi from Mashirao, an All Might action figure from Midoriya, a framed photo of her, Uraraka, and Midoriya from Uraraka, and others. Seeing her smile seemed to put a smile on everyone else's faces as well. The only exception was Bakugou, who glanced away in annoyance.

"So Eri," Uraraka said as soon as the gift-opening was over, "did Santa get you what you asked for?"

"Yep!" Eri said simply.

"What was it?" Midoriya asked quizzically.

Eri scanned the entire room, looking at the faces of Class 1-A, before she glanced up at Midoriya and said, "A family." The comment resulted in a collective of "DAAAWs" from the girls and even from a few boys.

At around eleven o'clock, there was a knock at the door. "Oh good, they're here!" Iida exclaimed as he made his way to the main doors. He then opened them up to reveal four people, three women and one man, who stood before Class 1-A and said:

"With glittering eyes, rock on!"

"With cat paws, we're here to help!"

"Out of nowhere, we appear!"

"Cutely catly, we sting!"

"THE WILD WILD PUSSYCATS [off duty]!"

There was a sudden silence in the room as the students and Eri stared at the four adults posing ridiculously in front of them. As Eri looked out from behind Midoriya's legs, she could see that they were a unique group. They all seemed to be in their 30s with various personalities. The woman with the burgundy-red hair seemed to be the calmest and gentlest out of all of them, the woman with turquoise hair seemed to be the polar opposite, being all hyperactive through her body language, the blonde woman seemed to be hyperactive as well, but was very loud and didn't seem to care how she came off to others, and the sole male looked very strict and intimidating.

"Hey there!" Midoriya finally said. "Glad you all could make it."

"Well, it has been a while since we last met," the woman with the burgundy-red hair said as the quartet got out of their poses. "And when Eraserhead and Iida invited us, we couldn't resist the offer."

"Oh by the way," Uraraka said, "we have a new resident." Midoriya then moved aside so that Eri was in full view of the pro heroes. "Guys," Uraraka said as she knelt down beside the little girl, "this is Eri."

"Oh my god, you are so cute!" the blonde- and turquoise-haired women exclaimed as they rushed forward up close to Eri's face. The sudden exclamations and invasion of personal space caused Eri to suddenly hug Uraraka in fear.

"It's alright," a soft voice said as Eri felt a warm hand on her head. She opened her eyes to see the burgundy-red haired woman looking down at her with a gentle smile. "They won't hurt you; they're just…energetic," she added with a sweatdrop. "So you're the little girl Aizawa told us about." At this, Eri merely nodded her head. "Then allow us to introduce ourselves," the woman said as she rejoined the others. Soon, they made their introductions and struck out poses while stating them.

"I'm Sosaki Shino, known by many as the pro hero Mandalay and leader of the Wild Wild Pussycats!" the burgundy-red haired woman exclaimed.

"Name's Tsuchikawa Ryuko, aka Pixie-Bob!" the blonde said loudly.

"Chatora Yawara, but you shall refer to me…as Tiger!" the male exclaimed in a deep and macho voice.

"And my name is Shiretoko Tomoko, formerly known as the hero Ragdoll!" the turquoise-haired girl said while waving her hands up and down excitedly with her fingers curled up to look like cat paws.

"And we are…THE WILD WILD PUSSYCATS!" all four shouted in unison as they each struck a final pose.

"It's nice to meet you all," Eri said as she smiled at the four adults.

"Oh by the way, Midoriya," Sosaki said, "there's someone who's wanted to see you for a while."

"Aunt Sosaki, come oooon." The sound of a small boy's pleading voice caused Eri to look around in surprise and confusion. Sosaki and the others stepped aside to reveal a small boy who looked to be slightly younger than Eri. He wore a scowl on his face as he glanced upward at the One for All user. His most notable feature was a red hat on his head with two, pointy gold horns on it.

"Kouta!" Midoriya said excitedly as he walked up to the boy and vigorously shook his hand. "How have you been? It's been a while, huh?"

"Y…yeah," the boy said as a small blush grew on his face. Upon seeing the blush, Eri couldn't help but giggle to herself.

"Kouta," Sosaki said as she placed a hand on Kouta's back. "There's someone you should meet." She then walked Kouta over to where Eri was standing. "Eri, this is Kouta Izumi. He's my nephew," she said before she directed her attention back to the boy and continuing. "Kouta, this is Eri. She's living with Midoriya and the rest of Class 1-A."

Kouta's cheeks turned a bright pink as he looked at the girl before him. He had never really had any interactions with a girl his own age and seeing one caused him to shake a bit out of nervousness. When she smiled at him, he felt something warm and tingly growing inside.

"Hi, Kouta. Nice to meet you," Eri said sweetly, causing Kouta to stiffen a bit.

"N-nice to meet you too," he said nervously.

"So," Eri said. "How do you know Papa?"

When Kouta didn't give any sudden response to Eri calling Midoriya 'Papa', Sosaki whispered to Izuku and Uraraka, "Aizawa explained everything to us, even the fact that she calls you two her 'Mama' and 'Papa'".

"Well," Kouta said, "H-he and the rest of the students went to our Quirk training camp and during a villain attack, he saved me. And you?"

"Me too." Eri said. "He and Mama saved me from some villains. So I guess we're the same, huh?"

"Y-y-yeah," Kouta said nervously.

"Isn't there something you'd like to give her, Kouta?" Sosaki asked with a small smile. Kouta suddenly remembered; Sosaki had insisted that he give Eri a present when they visited as a sign of friendship. Kouta then reached into his pocket and pulled out a very small, rectangular object covered in gift wrap. He stood frozen in place as he looked at the girl standing before him, who was staring back in confusion. "Go on, Kouta. Give Eri her gift." Sosaki said gently as she gave him a little push forward.

Gulping, Kouta's expression hardened as he gave in to his aunt's demands. "Here," he said as he stuck out the small present and glanced away from Eri.

Eri took the little gift and opened it gently. It turned out to be a colorful, thick piece of paper with All Might on it. "It's a trading card," Kouta said. "You collect them and trade them with other people for more."

As Eri flipped it over, she saw writing that mentioned her grandpa's stats, history, and certain fun facts. "This is...for me?" she asked.

"Yeah, well," Kouta said as his body shifted sideways and his tough guy persona came back, "I've got about two of those back home. So I figured it wouldn't hurt if I gave one awa-"

He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence, as Eri had taken the opportunity to plant a kiss on his left cheek, causing Kouta's face to turn a violent shade of valentine red. He swiveled his head with wide eyes to see Eri give him a small smile as she said "Thanks, Kouta."

The children failed to notice the mixed reactions from the Pussycats and the students in response to the sweet gesture. A majority of the students were either fangirling silently or looking on in shock at how bold Eri had been. Even Midoriya and Uraraka were surprised at Eri's actions.

"Taking all bets!" Mina whispered in excitement. "Taking all bets for how many years it'll be before these two start dating! Who wants to bet on this?" Immediately, various boys and girls started whispering bets and handing money to her.

"11,386 yen on five years."

"17,080 on six years!"

"34,160 on-"

"GUYS!" All the other students turned to see Midoriya and Uraraka looking both flustered and slightly agitated. "You shouldn't be making bets on when they'll end up dating," Midoriya said.

"Exactly," Uraraka said in agreement. "And besides, they're just kids. We shouldn't try to bet on their whole future and the relationship they could have with each oth-"

"56,934 yen on nine years!" Both Midoriya and Uraraka's eyes widened in shock when they saw Sosaki handing a wad of cash to Mina, who jotted it down in her notebook. "What?" she asked as she looked at the two student's faces. "I want great-nieces and nephews."

Kouta, meanwhile, was about to say something in protest toward his aunt when he suddenly felt a sudden aura of menace from behind. Turning around, he soon lost all color in his face as he stared up at the glaring faces of Bakugou and Kirishima, both of whom had activated their Quirks in a threatening manner.

"Listen up, brat," Bakugou said through gritted teeth, "you so much as try anything with her… and you'll be in for a world of hurt."

SNATCH!

"Or…" Tsuchikawa said with a hand on Bakugou's face and a venomous glare on her own, "you'd might have your face crushed if you so much as lay a hand on Kouta. Which is it, punk?" she asked as she began to tighten her grip. Kirishima wasn't fairing any better; Mina had taken it upon herself to grab ahold of his right ear and scold him for his actions.

Kouta was at a loss for words as he witnessed the chaos in front of him. Eri, on the other hand, couldn't help but giggle a bit as she looked at Kouta and smiled. Nervously, Kouta smiled back.

After everyone had calmed down and any injuries were prevented, the rest of the day went off without a hitch. The Pussycats joined Class 1-A for a pleasant afternoon luncheon of sandwiches and tea. Eri sat between Midoriya and Kouta, to whom she talked about her school, her friends, and what it was like to live with Class 1-A. The conversation then turned to Kouta talking about the training camp that his aunt and the others presided over. Eri was fascinated by the fact that it was so far out in the woods, seeing as how she had been cooped up for years in a cold, dark room.

Soon, however, it was time for the Pussycats to leave. As they were about to head out, Sosaki gave Eri a card that had her contact information, should she ever need help or just want to talk with Kouta. The altercation caused Kouta to lower his hat in embarrassment and Eri to giggle.

"So, sweetie," Midoriya said when the Pussycats and Kouta left, "did you have fun today?"

"Yes Papa, I did!" Eri said with a smile. It was then that her eyes widen as she suddenly remembered something. "Wait here; I'll be right back!" And with that, she sped off upstairs, leaving a confused Midoriya and Uraraka in her wake. After a few minutes, Eri came back down with a present in each hand. "Merry Christmas, Papa! Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday, Mama!" the little girl said as she handed the gifts to the two students.

"Aw, thanks sweet pea," Uraraka said with a smile as she and Midoriya took the gifts. As soon as they ripped off the wrapping paper, their eyes widened in surprise by what they each saw.

Midoriya and Uraraka each held a watercolor painting encased in a picture frame, which Midoriya recognized as ones that his mother owned. But it was the painting itself that caused both students to be at a loss for words. The painting consisted of a field with little tuffs of grass, a sun, a few mountains in the background, and in the center of the painting were what looked like Midoriya, Eri, and Uraraka, all holding hands and smiling. A glance down at the bottom of the painting showed two words written in black marker that read "My Parents".

"I wanted to give you both a gift," Eri said. "I made them in class before Christmas break. And when I met Grandma, I asked her if she had anything I could pu-" She stopped, however, when she noticed that both Midoriya and Uraraka were looking downward and shaking. "Mama? Papa?" she asked with concern. "What's wrong? You don't like it?"

"It's beautiful, sweetheart," Uraraka said as she looked up at Eri with tears of happiness in her eyes. "This is perhaps the greatest gift anyone has ever given me."

"Then why are you and Papa crying?" Eri asked in confusion.

"Well, Eri," Midoriya said as he too looked up with tears in his eyes. "I guess it's because seeing these pictures made us remember just how lucky we are to have you in our lives. And how great these past few months have been taking care of you."

"We love you so much, sweetie. And thank you so much for the thoughtful gifts,." Uraraka said as she and Midoriya pulled Eri in for a group hug. As they continued their embrace, both students looked at each other and smiled in silent agreement. This was, without a doubt, the best Christmas either one of them ever had.

* * *

 ** _Bonus Content_**

 _December 28th_

Four days had passed since Mei Hatsume had attended Class 1-A's Christmas Party. On this particular day, she was currently working on special tech for one of the teachers. Turning off her welding torch, she lifted her goggles from her eyes and wiped the sweat off her brow. As she took a swig from her water bottle and leaned back in her chair, she closed her eyes and remembered the fun she had that night with Class 1-A. She thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her peers that evening, even if a certain little girl still held a grudge toward her. A little smile grew on her face as she hoped that one day, Eri could trust her and enjoy her company.

Hatsume's thoughts were interrupted, however, when she heard a knock at the classroom door. Propping her chair back down, she walked over and opened it to reveal a certain male student with glasses and black hair standing before her.

"Iida!" she exclaimed. "Long time no see! Did you come to help me test my babies?"

"No, Hatsume," Iida said simply. It might have been Hatsume's imagination, but Iida looked more rigid than usual and there was a slight blush on his cheeks. "I…I came to say thanks…rather my brother wished to say thanks."

"So I take it that he liked his gift?" Hatsume asked with a smile.

"Indeed," Iida said as he tried to maintain his composure, "In fact, my entire family was surprised by the…what was the devices called again?" He asked sheepishly.

"The Mobility Grips." Hatsume said with pride. "Devices used to help develop movement for people who have been paralyzed. Just attach some needles into the nervous system, think the command, and move those limbs!"

'Even when there isn't a crowd, she still feels the need to advertise her devices.' Iida thought. "Yes well, I'm sure this will help show you how he felt about them." He said as he pulled out his phone and pressed the play button on a video. It showed Tensei in his wheelchair wearing what looked like metal gears and poles on his right leg and foot. Mei couldn't help but smile a bit as she watched Tensei's eyes widen as he slowly raised his right leg. She could also faintly hear the sounds of what looked like a woman sobbing happily as she watched the spectacle before her.

"Needless to say," Iida said as he paused the video and pocketed his phone, "My family cannot thank you enough, Hatsume. My brother especially; he was happy to know that there was still the chance he could be a pro hero, should the right equipment come along."

"Well to be honest, I wanted to make up for the fact that I used our bout in the Sports Festival to market my babies," Hatsume said guilty. "And when I heard about what happened to your brother and his condition, I knew it was the opportunity to try and build something that might make things less strenuous for you and your folks." Upon hearing this, Iida smiled a bit; maybe he had been wrong about her. "Though I take it you're not just here to thank me, are you?" Hatsume asked as she raised an eyebrow and a smirk grew on her face.

"No." Iida said as her question brought him back to reality. He then cleared his throat nervously before continuing. "In light of what you have done, I was perhaps hoping to repay you. And no, I will not help you test your 'babies'!" He added quickly as he saw Hatsume's eyes light up with excitement. "I…I was wondering perhaps…if you weren't too busy sometime…to join me for some coffee…or something."

Hatsume's eyes widened a bit; she had never expected Tenya Iida to offer such a proposal, especially after what had happened between them at the Sports Festival last fall. "Iida..." she said slowly. "Are you…asking me out…on a date?"

"I wouldn't call it a date." Iida said nervously. "More like a token of appreciation. That is to say it's alright if you don't-"

"Sure."

"I…I'm sorry?" Iida asked in surprise.

"Sure. Coffee sounds nice," Hatsume said with a smile.

"E-excellent," Iida said. "I shall notify you soon with a possible date that we could get together. Good day, Hatsume," he added as he walked away.

"See ya, Iida!" Hatsume called out. As she closed the door, she couldn't help but smile a bit as she closed her eyes and thought, 'Next year's going to be pretty interesting.'

* * *

 **And with that, perhaps the longest chapter this story will ever have is complete. One small note to point out is the editor's notes next to the author's notes. Mumblesnake helped me with editing this chapter and she decided to input her own notes, which I found to be funny.**

 **Once again, sorry for the delay. However, with me working on other projects and the length of this chapter, you can see why. But I wanted to make this chapter extra long as a way of saying "Thank you" to my editors and beta-reader, my fellow BNHA fans on Discord, and, of course, to all of you who have followed and/or favorited me and/or this story over this year. It truly has been great working on such a long-term story and you guys made it possible.**

 **Midoriya: It certainly is awesome how supportive you all are.**

 **Anime: Oh; hey guys! Didn't expect to see you here.**

 **Kirishima: Well, we found out it was near the one-year anniversary of the story. So we figured we might as well visit you.**

 **Anime: Sweet! And where's my favorite little girl in the world?**

 **Eri: Hi Anime!**

 **Anime: Hi Sweetie! Say, I have to ask you a question.**

 **Eri: What is it?**

 **Anime: Which would you prefer for my next big BNHA project? A Lion King story in which Papa is Simba, Mama is Nala, and Grandpa Might is Mufasa? Or...a story set in the future in which YOU are the hero?**

 **Eri (thinking about it): I like both!**

 **Anime: Well then, I guess it's up to the fans and readers! (turns back to the audience) And that's exactly what you'll do. On my profile page, there will be a poll that you can vote on to decide which story I should do next. I won't start working on it until after Family Matters is over, so you will have plenty of time to vote.**

 **Uraraka: By the way, aren't you going to be publishing another story next year as well?**

 **Anime: Ah yes, in addition to new chapters for Family Matters and Black and White Roses, I will also be publishing a new story centered on the anime Food Wars starring everyone's favorite red-headed rebel and his blonde love interest. And I may throw in my own RWBY story featuring ships like Rose Garden (Ruby x Oscar), Iceberg (Weiss x Neptune), Black Sun (Blake x Sun), and Dragon Slayer (Yang x Jaune).**

 **Jir** **ō** **: Cool. Anyway, kudos to Mirvana, Anime's beta reader, and Mumblesnake for helping out with editing this chapter.**

 **Kaminari: And kudos to Boa Jade and Vinsmoke Julia for their suggestion for Eri helping me and Jirō decorate the Christmas tree.**

 **Anime: Yes, thank you both so much for that suggestion. Also, additional kudos go out to LordXG3 for mentioning me as an inspiration for his story "The Fafnir Knight". If you want a good story, you should check that one out. I will be taking a bit of a break during this month to recover from writing this chapter. When the new year starts, however, I will be back to writing Family Matters again. Next year will be epic; it'll have Eri learning how to swim, Midoriya and Eri taking care of a sick Uraraka, Eri learning how to control her Quirk, (covers Eri's ears) the return of Noshimuri (removes hands), and...the chapter every IzuOcha fan has been waiting for!**

 **Midoriya and Uraraka: Wait, WHAT?!**

 **Mina: Finally! Took you long enough.**

 **Anime (annoyed): Watch it, Mina. I could easily change my mind about publishing such a chapter and stall it for longer. Heck, you're lucky I finally managed to canonize you and Kirishima together. I could change that as well.**

 **Mina: Sorry...and thank you.**

 **Anime: So keep a close eye out for the next chapter in the coming year, which will hopefully come out quicker than this one. Anyway, thank you guys so much for your support throughout this year. Happy Holidays to you all! And...(Turns to Eri and Class 1-A) Wanna help me cap this off?**

 **Class 1-A and Eri: Sure!**

 **Anime: Always remember to go beyond...(with Class 1-A and Eri) PLUS ULTRA!**


	7. Quirk Training and Jokes

"Come on, Eri. Concentrate."

"You can do it, sweetie. Just focus."

"Nhhhhhhhh…" Eri grunted as she scrunched her face in concentration as she held the hand of the injured student. A bright aura of white light seemed to surround the area of the student's injury. The aura only last for a few seconds, however, as the light surrounding Eri's horn died. The little girl sighed in defeat as she saw that she made very little progress.

She, Midoriya, Uraraka were in the infirmary with Aizawa and Recovery Girl. When Midoriya was offered the opportunity to look after Eri, he was also informed that she would have to partake in Quirk training. Due to the fact that her Quirk was so unique and could be used as support, it was determined that Recovery Girl would be the one to train her, with Midoriya and another student for support.

Initially, the other student was meant to be Mirio, but when he noticed the connection Eri shared with Uraraka, he stepped down and allowed the Gravity User to take his place. Nezu even assigned Aizawa to the training exercises seeing as how he was the only one who could nullify Eri's Quirk should anything go wrong.

There was one problem, however. No matter how hard she tried, Eri couldn't seem to fully use her Quirk for more than five seconds and even then, it had no lasting effects. For the first month of training, the two teachers and students didn't see this as a problem since she had used up a lot of power during the rescue mission. However, by the second month, things got complicated. According to Aizawa, the power level of her Quirk should have been enough to heal small wounds completely regardless of the state of her horn. Even Uraraka and Midoriya had to admit that they were both a little worried that Eri would never know how to use her Quirk properly.

"You're all set to leave." Aizawa said to the student as soon as she was healed by one of Recovery Girl's kisses. The student only nodded as she left the infirmary.

"I'm sorry." Eri muttered dejectedly as she glanced, glancing downward.

"It's alright, sweetie." Recovery Girl said as she placed a hand on the little girl's shoulder and gave her a small smile. "We just need to find out something to help amplify your Quirk, that's all." She then turned to Midoriya and Uraraka and asked, "You two wouldn't know anything that might help her, would you?"

"We've tried almost everything." Uraraka said sadly. "Persuasion, encouraging her to be calm, concentration, none of which work." As Uraraka, Recovery Girl, and Aizawa talked, Midoriya drowned them out and closed his eyes as he tried to think back to when he faced off against Overhaul. There had to be something off during that fight that might help them here and now. As his mind raced throughout the fight, he suddenly remembered something about Eri and her Quirk.

"What if we've been looking at this whole thing the wrong way?" Midoriya asked. He then turned his head to see the four sets of eyes staring back at him with confusion. "During my fight with Overhaul, I called Eri's Quirk a blessing and she seemed happy by it. When she fused her Quirk with mine, there were almost no repercussions since she seemed to have control of her Quirk. But every time I got injured, she must have felt guilty thinking that she caused me to be in pain. So much so that by the time Overhaul was put down, Eri lost control of her Quirk."

"Is this true, sweetie?" Uraraka asked as she glanced down at the little girl. "Where you feeling guilty thinking that you were hurting Papa?"

"Y-Yes." Eri admitted shamefully.

"What exactly are you getting at, Midoriya?" Recovery Girl asked curiously.

"What if her Quirk is amplified by her emotions?" Midoriya explained as the four people surrounding him looked on in confusion. "I know it seems a little bit ridiculous and a bit far-fetched, but what if it were actually based on that? What if negative emotions caused her to have little to no control over her Quirk while positive emotions caused her to not only have better control over it, but also make her Quirk stronger?"

"What do you think, Eraser?" Recovery Girl asked as she looked up at the homeroom teacher.

"At this point, might as well test that theory." Aizawa said with a shrug.

"Alright then, Midoriya," Recovery Girl said as she directed her attention toward the boy. "We'll try it out. However, I'm not sure what would cause Eri to become happy or be positive."

"I may have an idea on that part." Uraraka chimed in before looking at the little girl and saying, "Eri, try thinking of some happy memories and use them while also concentrating on the person's injury. Think you can do that?"

"I-I'll try." Eri said nervously.

"Very well, then." Recovery Girl said with a smile. "I'll call the next patient while you think of something that makes you happy."

As Recovery Girl made her way to the door to the infirmary, Eri shut her eyes in concentration. She had to think of a really happy memory in order to make sure that Midoriya's theory was correct. The problem was that there were so few to choose from. Seeing as how she had spent most of her life trapped in a darkened place, she only could think of the times she was with her 'Mama' and 'Papa' and the rest of Class 1-A. Christmas, her birthday, Halloween…so many memories flooded her mind. Suddenly, she remembered one good memory that probably stood out from all the rest.

"Are you ready?" Recovery Girl asked as her voice snapped Eri from her thoughts. She then opened her eyes to see another student, this time a male, lying on the cot with a purple bruise on his arm.

Trying her best to focus on the memory, Eri nodded silently. "Very well then," Recovery Girl said, "Let's begin."

As Eri placed her hands gently on the student's arm, she closed her eyes and tried to focus on both the memory and the will to use her Quirk. As she tried to concentrate, she felt a surge of power on top of her head where her horn was located. The surge felt odd; in the past, it felt cold and empty. This time, however, it felt warm and comforting like being wrapped in a cozy blanket or receiving a hug from her 'parents'.

Since her eyes were closed, Eri couldn't see the look of awe and amusement on her 'Mama' and 'Papa's' faces. Even Aizawa's eyes widened slightly at the sight before him. Not only did the aura emitted by Eri last longer than a few seconds, but it also covered the entire body of the injured student as well in the familiar bright aura. Recovery Girl could only smile as the small bruise on the student's leg slowly changed from purple to its original color. Once she had felt that the wound had healed properly, she turned to Eri and said, "Eri, that's enough. Concentrate on relaxing."

Hearing the elderly woman's words, Eri mentally shook the memory away and breathed deeply so as to relax. Soon, the warm feeling from the surge of power died down. Eri opened her eyes to see the smiling faces of Uraraka, Midoriya, and Recovery Girl and asked, "What happened?"

"See for yourself." Recovery Girl said as she pointed at the student's leg. Eri glanced over and her eyes widened as she noticed that the bruise was gone. "You did that, dear. Guess Midoriya's theory turned out to be right after all."

Eri couldn't believe it; after all those months of hardship, she was finally able to amplify and gain some control of her Quirk. "Can we try another?" She asked with a huge smile on her face. "Please, please, please, please, please?"

"I think that's enough for today." Recovery Girl said with a chuckle. "The main focus of today was just trying to find anything that could help you gain some control of your Quirk. Now that we know what it is, the real training can begin. And as for you two," She added as she glanced up at both Uraraka and Midoriya, "Now that we know what actually works, it'll be the job of you two and your classmates to give her some happy memories in order to help her with her Quirk."

"I don't think that'll be a problem, Recovery Girl." Midoriya said with a smile, to which she returned. "Well, thanks again, Recovery Girl." He added as he and Uraraka each took Eri by the hand and followed Aizawa to the doors of the infirmary.

As she watched them leave, Recovery Girl couldn't help but smile warmly. 'That little girl is truly something.' She thought in amusement. 'She's lucky to be around so many people who love and care about her.'

Eri, meanwhile continued to walk with Uraraka, Midoriya, and Aizawa down the halls until they reached the staff lounge. "Well, I better get back to work." Aizawa said unenthusiastically. "Just be sure you two get your assignments done for Mon-"

"Yo, Eraser! What's up?" The sound of a feminine voice caused Aizawa to suddenly stiffen in fear. Sighing in annoyance, he, along with Uraraka, Midoriya, and Eri, turned to see a young woman in her late 20s with green hair that was covered by an orange bandana. She was wearing baggy green and orange pinstriped shorts, a sleeveless black top, a waistband adorned with smiley-face pins, and had orange combat gloves with metal plates around the wrists on her hands. What was most notable about her was the huge smile she had on her face as she approached.

'Oh God,' Aizawa thought tiredly. 'My greatest nuisance.'

"Ms. Joke!" Midoriya exclaimed excitedly as the pro hero stopped right in front of them. "What are you doing here?"

"Present Mic." Ms. Joke said simply. "He needed some advice on how to deal with the provisional license exam for the new second-years new semester. So how have you two been? Eraser's not giving you a hard time, is he?"

"We've actually been doing well." Uraraka said with a smile. "I've been able to last a few minutes longer without losing my lunch and Deku's gotten stronger in his fighting abilities."

"Good to hear." Ms. Joke said before she glanced down at Eri. "And who is this?" she asked.

"This is Eri." Midoriya said. "She's been living with us and the rest of Class 1-A. We just got back from Quirk Training for her." He then knelt down and said "Go on Eri; say hi."

"H-Hi." Eri stated nervously.

"Nice to meet ya, kid!" Ms. Joke exclaimed. "Name's Fukukado Emi, otherwise known as the pro hero Ms. Joke. My Quirk allows my targets to break out into uncontrollable laughter. It thus causes me to…"

As Ms. Joke continued to explain her Quirk, Eri looked from her to Aizawa and then back again. "Ms. Joke?" she asked abruptly. "How do you know Mr. Zawa?"

"Oh," Ms. Joke said in surprise before her smile grew. "I used to work at an office near his and we become close to one another." She then paused as her eyes turned a dreamy gaze and her checks turned a rosy pink. "You might say we were meant to be star-crossed."

"We never were and never will be." Aizawa said in annoyance.

"God, I miss that sense of humor of yours!" Ms. Joke exclaimed as she reverted back to her normal self.

"Oh." Eri said simply. After a few seconds, she then asked "Are you two a couple?" Her question received mixed reactions from the four people around her. Aizawa stiffened more at her words, while Midoriya and Uraraka were torn between worrying about what Aizawa might say and laughing out loud at Eri's question.

Ms. Joke, on the other hand, was beside herself. "BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She laughed as she clutched her stomach and tears ran down her face. "MAN, I LIKE THIS KID ALREADY!" It took her a good minute before she calmed down and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Unfortunately not, kid." She said casually. "I've tried to ask him out, but he still plays hard-to-get. Speaking of which…" she added as she turned her attention toward Aizawa. "What do ya say, Eraser? How about a date for the kid's sake?"

"No."

"HAHAHAHA! See what I mean?" Ms. Joke said as she laughed once again. "So what kind of Quirk training were ya doing?" She then asked Eri.

"Oh, I was with Recovery Girl with healing people." Eri said simply before her face saddened a bit. "I know it's not a really strong or cool Quirk like Papa's or Mama's, but…" Before she could finish her sentence, however, Eri felt a gloved hand on top of her head. She glanced slightly upward to see Ms. Joke crouching down and smiling warmly at her.

"Listen," Ms. Joke said softly, "I know that healing may not be the strongest Quirk ever. But it still helps people feel better and get better. And personally, I think it's a pretty awesome Quirk to have. And you want to know something else?" She asked, her smile widening as Eri leaned in with anticipation. "I know that no matter what you end up doing with your Quirk, you're gonna be a great hero to somebody." Eri couldn't help but smile at the woman's kind words as she nodded her head in appreciation.

"Whelp, I better get going." Ms. Joke said as she stood up and looked at her phone. "The meeting's gonna start soon. See you kids later."

"Bye!" Uraraka and Midoriya said while Eri waved and said "Bye, Ms. Joke."

"See ya, Eraser!" Ms. Joke said as she walked down the hall. "Don't forget about our date!"

"There's no date." Aizawa said.

"HAHAHA! Such a kidder!" The Laughter User exclaimed as she walked out of sight.

Aizawa sighed before saying, "I swear someone put her on this earth to punish me for something I did when I was younger."

"I like her." Eri said simply as she smiled.

When Aizawa shot a glare at her, Midoriya and Uraraka panicked. "SOWE'LLSEEONMONDAY, BYE MR. AIZAWA!" They both exclaimed loudly as they ran off with Eri in tow.

Once they made sure they were safe, both students knelt down to catch their breaths. "Maybe…sweetie…" Midoriya said while breathing slowly, "It'll be best…not to talk…about…relationships…with…Mr. Aizawa."

"Okay; sorry, Papa." Eri said.

"It's alright, sweetie." Uraraka said as she and Midoriya caught their breaths and stood. "By the way, can we ask you something?"

"What?" Eri asked curiously.

"What memory did you use to amplify your Quirk?"

Eri only smiled at the question and said, "Oh…it was the day when I started living with you and Papa!"

Midoriya and Uraraka could only smile at the little girl's response and, taking a hand each, lead the little girl back to Alliance Heights.


	8. Caring For Mama

**Hey guys, you know the drill. I do not own I do not own Boku no Hero Academia, its characters, or its locations. They are all owned by Kohei Horikoshi, Jump Comics, and Funimation.**

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"Why can't I see Mama?" Eri asked in concern. She, Midoriya, and Hagakure were standing outside Uraraka's door, which was closed.

"Because she's not feeling well and doesn't want anyone to get sick, sweetie," Hagakure said. Almost on cue, a loud sneeze echoed from the opposite side of the door.

"U-Uraraka's sick?" Midoriya asked in a worried tone. "Do we call Recovery Girl? What if it's the flu and it's serious? Maybe I could contact Iida. No, that wouldn't work since he's off having coffee with Hatsume. Maybe there's some sort of medicine we can use to help her illness go down. Let me think; we have flu medicine, pain killers, cough medicine-"

"Papa!" Eri exclaimed. "You're doing that thing again."

"S-Sorry," Midoriya said, scratching the back of his head, "force of habit."

"I wouldn't worry too much, Midoriya," Hagakure said. "She said it's just a slight fever. It should be gone within a few days."

"Well that's a relief," Midoriya said with a sigh. With that, he and Hagakure left Uraraka's door.

Eri, however, had stayed behind and continued to stand outside the door. After a few minutes, Momo came by and stopped when she noticed Eri. "Eri?" she asked in concern. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, everything's fine, Auntie Momo. It's just…" Eri paused and her features saddened. "I just wish there was a way for me to help Mama get better."

Momo placed a finger underneath her lower lip and she thought about Eri's predicament. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head and a smile grew on her face. "Why not make her a get-well card?" she said.

"A get-well card?" Eri asked in confusion.

Chuckling a little at Eri's innocence, Momo explained. "It's a card you give to someone wishing them the best when they're either sick or recovering from something. You can either buy them at the store or you can make one yourself." She then leaned in and whispered, "Personally, I find that homemade cards are the best to give. It shows that you care deeply about that person and that you wish them well."

"Oh," Eri said in understanding. Just then, an idea popped into her head and she grinned. "Thanks, Auntie Momo," Eri said before she ran off downstairs. Momo only smiled back and waved back.

Eri ran to Midoriya's room, where she grabbed construction paper, markers, colored pencils, and other craft tools. She then carefully carried them down to the main floor into the living room, where she set the supplies down on the coffee table. Taking up a sheet of cardboard paper in one hand and a marker in the other, Eri began to work.

"What are you working on, Eri?" Midoriya's voice called out from the kitchen.

"I'm making Mama a get-well card," Eri said, glancing over at Midoriya. It was then that she noticed him standing over the kitchen stove looking into a pot and stirring something with a wooden spoon. "What are you doing, Papa?" she asked.

"Well," Midoriya said with a small smile, "I'm making some Zosui. It's got chicken, mushrooms, some vegetables, noodles, and a few spices. It's supposed to help you when you're sick."

"Really?" Eri stopped what she was doing and walked over to the kitchen. She then brought up a stepping stool to stand on until her head stood over the countertop.

"Yep," Midoriya said. "I'm actually using a recipe that my mom used to make whenever I was sick."

"Grandma would make that for you?" Eri pointed at the black pot. Midoriya stiffened for a second; he had almost forgotten that Eri kept calling his mother 'Grandma'.

"Y-Yes," Midoriya stuttered. "I always remember how good it tasted and it always filled me up and made me feel warm inside." He paused and he used the wooden spoon to scoop up a sliver of broth. He then sipped and tasted it with a quizzical look on his face. "Maybe it needs a few more minutes. Here," he added and he scooped another sliver before placing a hand under the spoon, blowing it, and lowering it to Eri's level. "What do you think?"

Eri leaned forward and pressed her lips to the tip of the spoon before she sipped it. It was warm and tasted really good; Grandma was without a doubt a great cook. "Another few minutes, Papa," she said, to which Midoriya nodded in agreement.

While Midoriya finished the soup, Eri returned to making her get-well card. She used a variety of markers to write out a message and even used her safety scissors to cut a sheet of pink construction paper. She then folded the main paper neatly to complete the project.

"Ready to go see Mama?" Midoriya asked. He then picked up a tray with the bowl of soup on it.

"Wait!" A voice cried out before Eri could respond. The two of them turned to see Mina standing before them holding up two sheets of fabric with strings attached to each end. "Gotta put these on before you see her."

"Oh, right." Midoriya said. He then set the tray on the counter and placed the piece over his mouth and nose and the strings over his ears. He then knelt down and placed the other fabric over Eri's mouth and nose as well.

"What is this?" Eri asked, noticing that her voice was muffled through the fabric.

"It's a surgical mask," Mina said. "It helps prevent the spread of diseases so that you don't get sick." Eri nodded in understanding. "Now you can go visit Mama," Mina added with enthusiasm.

Once Midoriya lifted the tray again, the three of them made their way up the stairs until they reached Uraraka's door on the fourth floor. Mina then knocked and called out, "Uraraka, are you still in there?" A groan came from inside followed by a weak "yeah". Taking it as an invitation to enter, Mina opened the door.

There were tissues that littered the floor and some that filled the clear trash can. The covers on the bed were ruffled and there was a noticeable bundle under it that stretched to both ends of the bed. The bundle underneath tossed the cover over to reveal a pale-faced Uraraka with a red nose and droopy eyes.

"Afternoon, sunshine," Mina said. Uraraka replied with another groan. "I've brought Midoriya and Eri with me."

Uraraka's red eyes then turned to face Midoriya and Eri. Her gaze softened and her mouth curved into a small smile. "Hey, you two," She said weakly and in a croaky voice.

"Hey, Uraraka," Midoriya said. He made his way over with the tray in his hands. "I made you some soup." He handed her the tray.

When the tray was placed on Uraraka's lap, the steam that emitted from the bowl reached her nostrils. She inhaled deeply and smiled a little. "Thanks, Deku," she said. "It smells really good." Midoriya could only blush at her comment.

"Here, Mama," Eri said. She handed Uraraka the folded piece of paper. "I made this for you." Uraraka took the card and noticed a little cut-out heart glued onto the front of it. Giving a small smile, she then opened the card to see a message with words written in different colors. It read:

 _I hope you_

 _get well soon, Mama._

 _Love you,_

 _Eri_

"Thank you, Eri," Uraraka said. She looked down at the little girl with a smile. "This is so sweet of you." Eri smiled upon hearing her comment.

"Maybe we ought to leave her be," Mina suggested. Eri and Midoriya nodded; they figured Uraraka would like to enjoy her soup in peace and not run the risk of making them sick as well. With that, Eri, Midoriya, and Mina left the room.

When the three of them reached the main floor, Eri began picking up her craft materials to put them away. At that moment, the front doors opened to reveal a certain boy who wore glasses. "Welcome back, Uncle Tenya!" Eri said.

"Hi, Iida!" Midoriya said upon seeing his best friend. "How was coffee with Hatsume?"

"Very well, thank you for asking," Iida said. He then took off his coat and placed it on the coat rack. "We discussed what we wanted to do when we graduated UA, I told her about my family's history as heroes, she told me about some of her inventions, and the rest was just small talk."

"So I take it the date was a success, huh?" Mina asked with a smirk, which caused Iida's cheeks to turn bright pink.

"I-It was not a date!" Iida exclaimed and gestured wildly. "It was just a casual meeting of two students, one of whom just wanted to show appreciation for what the other had done for him."

"Yeah?" Mina's eyes narrowed and her smirk grew. "That kiss imprint on your left cheek says otherwise." Upon hearing Mina's words, Iida's cheeks reddened and he ran to try and find a mirror. Midoriya and Eri, meanwhile, both had to cover a hand over their mouths to stifle their laughter while Mina looked on with an amused smile.

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 **Bonus Content**

Eri rose up from her bed in frustration; she couldn't seem to fall asleep. It had been a week since her 'Mama' had recovered from her illness and everything seemed to be back to normal. She was still doing well in school, she still hung out with Satsuki, and the other students still treated her like family.

It was while she was thinking about the students that her mind shifted to her Mama and Papa. She never thought about it in the past, but lately she had been noticing some weird things about how they reacted to each other. When one of them would make an encouraging or kind comment, the other would blush and become nervous. Whenever Auntie Mina would make some comment to them with a smirk on her face, they would both blush bright red. And whenever physical contact was made between the two of them, one of them would look like they would pass out.

There was something going on between her 'parents', but Eri couldn't quite put her finger on it. It was then that Eri remembered hearing a word called "love" from a conversation she overheard between Auntie Jiro and Auntie Momo, which had something to do with Uncle Shouto. When Auntie Momo talked about him, her face turned red and she started to sweat a bit.

'Maybe love is liking someone deeply, but you're afraid to show it.' Eri thought. 'Maybe that's what is going on with Mama and Papa.' She then put on a face of determination and stood up on her bed. 'Alright then,' she thought, 'even if it takes me forever to get it done, Mama and Papa will show their love for each other. And I know just the person to ask for help,' she concluded and a smirk grew on her face.

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 **And with that another chapter for Family Matters is complete. Well, it certainly has been interesting these past few weeks. I recently parted ways with my beta reader Mirvana. She said she had college work and needed to focus on figuring out her career after she graduated. I told her I understood and we parted ways on good terms.**

 **Kudos to RD1042, my new beta reader, for reviewing this chapter and giving me suggestions to make it sound better to you guys.**

 **Next time on Family Matters...the chapter every single one of you IzuOcha shippers have been waiting for! I know you've all struggled for well over a year, but trust me it will be worth it. I promise.**

 **Until then, this is AnimeFan299110 encouraging you all to go beyond...PLUS ULTRA!**


	9. Operation: IzuOcha

**Hey guys! AnimeFan299110 here with the latest chapter of Family Matters. Now most of you know what to expect. But to those who don't, this is the IzuOcha chapter you have all been waiting a year and a half for! Thank you all so much for your patience and I hope you all enjoy the chapter. As usual, My Hero Academia is owned by Kohei Horikoshi, Jump Comics, and Funimation.**

 **And now, without further ado...here is the newest chapter of Family Matters!**

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It was two days after Eri made her self-declaration to get her 'parents' to confess their love for each other when she woke up from her slumber. She glanced over at the digital clock on Midoriya's nightstand and saw that it was 6:00 AM. 'Alright,' she thought, 'better go see if Auntie's awake.' She got out of bed and opened the door, cringing a bit when a squeak came from the hinges. Fortunately for her, Midoriya only snorted in his sleep. Careful not to make any further noise, she closed the door. Eri proceeded up two flights of stairs and past Uraraka's room until she reached her destination.

Meanwhile inside her room, Mina was lying on top of Kirishima and kissing him passionately. Both were in their underwear. It was a weekly tradition for them; ever since their Christmas kiss, they just couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other. It had gotten to the point where Iida had told them to have their moments in private. So it became natural for them to have their make-out sessions in either of their rooms. But they shared one rule: no sex until after they graduated. They were still in high school and they didn't want any complications.

"Hey Mina? Can I ask you something?" Kirishima asked between kisses. "If you had the ability to go back in time, would you change anything about our relationship?"

Mina only smiled, sitting up on his lap and placing two fingers on his chest. "Nothing at all, Eijirou," she said, moving her fingers upward with each syllable. Kirishima smiled before pressing his lips against hers once more. At that moment, a knock came from outside the door.

"Who could be up at this hour on a Saturday?" Kirishima asked in a quiet voice.

"I'll check," Mina said. She walked over to the closed door and asked, "Who is it?"

"Auntie Mina?" Eri's voice called out from the other side. "It's me, Eri, can I talk to you for a second?"

Upon hearing the little girl's voice, both Mina and Kirishima looked at each other, terrified.

"Uh…" Mina said in a nervous tone. She scanned the room frantically. Her eyes soon fell on the space between her bed and the floor. "Sure thing. Be with you in a minute."

"What are you doing?" Kirishima asked in a horrified whisper.

"Hide under the bed," Mina whispered back, "she won't see you, I promise." Kirishima only nodded and slid under the bed with some difficulty. Mina knelt down and said, "Stay still and don't make a sound." She gave him a quick peck on the lips and proceeded to put on short pajama bottoms and a tight t-shirt that hugged her figure.

She opened the door to greet the little girl. "Hey, sweetie, how are you?"

"Fine," Eri said. She tilted her head to the side to look behind Mina. "Auntie, who were you talking to?"

"Nobody, pumpkin," Mina said, moving her leg in order to block Eri's view. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Eri turned her attention back to Mina. "Well, the thing is…I need your help with something. The truth is…I…I need your help to get Mama and Papa to love each other!"

There was a sudden silence in the area. "A-Auntie?"

Mina swooped the little girl up, embraced her, and gave the biggest smile Eri had ever seen. "Oh my God, Eri!" she squealed, pressing and rubbing her cheek against Eri's. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for someone else to recognize that your Mama and Papa are perfect for each other." She brought Eri inside her room and closed the door behind her.

"I've been analyzing their reactions toward each other ever since the Final Exams last June, months before we met you," she said, putting Eri back down and walking over to the bedroom window. She pulled back the curtains to reveal a huge rectangular wooden board blocking out the view from outside. As Eri looked on, she noticed the board had notes, some pictures of her Mama and Papa, and lots of red string connected to said items. Eri's eyes soon followed the numerous threads until they reached the center of the board to a pin and a paper that read 'Possibility of relationship: 100%'. "So, what do you think?" Mina asked with a huge smile on her face.

"I think you have too much free time, Auntie," Eri said. "So what does this have to do with Mama and Papa?" she asked.

Mina lifted an eyebrow, but her smile didn't waver. "Well, the truth is that I've been trying to get your parents together for the last few months. I've locked them inside a room together and I even put them under the mistletoe during Christmas, but it didn't work. But then I realized something; the problem wasn't my methods, it was that I was working alone. With your help, I think we might be able to do it."

"So, what do we do?" Eri asked.

"Well, the first thing we have to do is to get them to ask the other out on a date. If you can convince Midoriya to ask Uraraka, then I can take care of Uraraka. I have a few things and ideas afterward for them. But we need to do this first task before anything else."

"And then Mama and Papa will love each other?" Eri asked, her eyes filled with hope.

"If all goes smoothly, yes," Mina said.

Eri smiled and cried out, "Yeah!" And before Mina could stop her, she leapt onto the bed and jumped up and down. Kirishima let out a muffled gasp when Eri's feet connected with his back.

"E-Eri!" Mina said, terrified. She quickly lifted Eri off the bed and set her on the floor. "Wh-Why don't you go try and get some more sleep? I'll talk to you about the details later."

"Okay," Eri said and made her way to the bedroom door. Before she left, she turned and asked, "Oh, Auntie? When Uncle Shima comes out from under the bed, tell him I said 'hi'."

"Will do, sweetie," Mina said, watching the little girl leave. She knelt down by the bed and looked at her boyfriend. "How are you holding up, babe?"

Kirishima only responded with a simple "Ow." He extended his left hand and let Mina pull him out. He stretched his back to ease the pain. "So," he said once he was comfortable, "you two are gonna try and get Midoriya and Uraraka together, huh?"

"Yep," Mina said with a huge smile, "and I can't wait! It was nice of Eri to want to say hi to...you..."

They looked at each other, eyes wide open, and exclaimed, "How the heck did she know?!"

* * *

A few days after her talk with Mina, Eri was standing by the stairs on the first floor watching Midoriya speak with Uncle Iida. According to Mina, all she had to do was find a way to convince him to ask Uraraka out. 'Alright,' Eri thought to herself, 'just remember what Auntie taught you.' She walked over to them. "Hey, Papa! Hey, Uncle Iida!"

"Eri," Iida said in a somewhat stern voice. "What have I told you about using that word?"

"I know, I know," Eri said. "Hay is for horses."

Midoriya couldn't help but chuckle a bit at Iida's dislike for that word. He turned to the little girl and asked, "So, what's up, Eri?"

Eri turned to him and smiled before saying, "Well, the thing is, Papa, I wanted to tell you something about you and Mama."

Midoriya's cheeks turned a bright pink. "O-O-Oh, a-and what did you want to talk about?"

Eri smiled; everything was going just as planned so far. "Well," she began, "I noticed that you and Mama looked tired lately. I was just wondering that you two should spend some time together without me."

"Me…and Uraraka…t-together," Midoriya mused. His blush deepened. "W-Well, y-you see I would, but I-I-I've g-g-got homework to do for Mr. Aizawa and then I have to meet up with All Might for training. I also have to meet up with my mo-" He noticed Eri's head facing the floor. "E-Eri?"

Eri tilted her head back up to reveal her watery eyes and a sad look on her face. "Wh-Why don't you want to spend time with Mama?" she asked, her voice on the verge of breaking. "Don't…don't you like her?"

"No no no no no, i-i-i-it's not like that!" Midoriya said. "I-I-It's just that I've got so much stuff to do and, well…" He paused when he saw Eri's eyes brimming with tears. "Oh no, don't cry Eri. L-Look, I-I'll talk with Uraraka about spending the day with her, okay?"

Eri rubbed her eyes with her left arm and sniffled. "Okay."

"Good," Midoriya said, relieved that Eri had stopped crying. "Now why don't you go get ready for school?"

As Eri made her way upstairs to get her school supplies, a small smile crept on her face. She had completed her part of Phase One; she just hoped Mina had done hers with Uraraka.

* * *

"Hey, Ochako!" Mina called out. They were making their way to class after training with All Might.

"Hey, Mina," Uraraka said, smiling at her friend, "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much," Mina said, "I just wanted to talk about you and Midoriya."

Uraraka's cheeks turned a slight pink. "O-Oh?" she asked. "W-What did you want to talk about?"

"Well, I've just been noticing that you two haven't really been spending time together. Before Eri came into our lives, you two would hang out in the living room watching TV, spend time at the mall, and even team up together during game nights."

Uraraka's cheeks maintained their pinkish hue. "W-Well, we've been busy lately, what with schoolwork and training. If you add caring for Eri on top of that, the two of us really haven't had any time to relax."

"Well," Mina said, her smile growing slightly. "What if I were to look after Eri for a day? Maybe you and Midoriya could do something together then?"

Uraraka paused while considering Mina's offer. "It would be nice to have a day to ourselves," she said. "J-Just as friends, of course." She turned to Mina and said, "Okay, I'll ask Deku if he wants to get together for a friendly outing. I believe next Saturday will work for me. I'll ask him after class today."

"Sweet!" Mina said with a wide smile on her face. As Uraraka walked away, the smile on her face shifted into a smirk. 'Well, that was easier than I could have imagined,' she thought with delight, 'let's just hope Eri had some luck with convincing Midoriya.'

* * *

'Okay, you can do this, Izuku. You can do this,' the green-haired student thought to himself. It was late in the afternoon at Alliance Heights and Midoriya was waiting in the hallway, hoping to talk to Uraraka before dinner. 'It's not like I'm asking her out on a date, we're just gonna hang around. Maybe find a place to eat, go to the park, and...wait, that's exactly like a date! I can't go through with this! What if she thinks I'm a weirdo and won't even talk to me again? How do I explain it to Eri if that happens? Will she not see Uraraka as a mother figure just because she doesn't like me in that way? Will I have to-'

"D-Deku?"

"AAH!" Midoriya screamed. He turned to see Uraraka standing a few feet in front of him with a look of concern on her face. "U-Uraraka, hi." He tried to compose himself.

"Hi, Deku," Uraraka said before asking, "Are you okay? Your face is really red."

"I'm fine," Midoriya said. "Listen Uraraka, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"Oh?" Uraraka said. "What is it?"

"W-W-Well, the th-thing is…um..." Midoriya trailed off, unable to get the words out. "W-What I wanted to ask was"-he bowed and shouted-"DOYOUWANNAHANGOUTSOMETIME?"

"What?" Uraraka asked.

"What I was asking was," Midoriya continued, still in bowing position, "would you like to hang out with me sometime? Just the two of us." It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Midoriya came back up to see a red-faced Uraraka shaking and stuttering in front of him. "I-I'm so sorry!" Midoriya said. "I-It's okay i-if you d-don't want to; I j-just thought what with Eri and everything-"

"S-Sure," Uraraka finally said after freezing for what seemed like forever. "T-T-That sounds nice."

"Oh…really?" Midoriya asked in surprise. When Uraraka nodded in response, his mouth formed into a nervous smile. "That…that's great! So, when do you wa-"

"Next Saturday!"

"W-What?"

"S-Sorry," Uraraka said, "I'm available next Saturday. Is that fine with you?"

"Um..." Midoriya said, still unable to believe that the arrangements were going over smoothly. "Y-Yeah, that's...perfect. It's a date!"

"A date?!" Uraraka exclaimed in surprise.

"N-N-No, I-I-I didn't mean it like that!" Midoriya said, gesturing wildly in embarrassment.

Around the corner at the far end of the hallway, a certain pink-skinned girl and a one-horned angel who had heard everything were looking at each other and grinning from ear to ear.

* * *

"So, you and Uraraka are going out, huh?" Kaminari asked with a smirk on his face as he, Midoriya, and the rest of the male student body of Class 1-A sat around the living room. It was Wednesday, three days before Midoriya and Uraraka's outing, and the news that they were going out had spread throughout the dormitory like wildfire.

"Y-Yeah," Midoriya said nervously, "b-but it's just an outing between friends, that's all." His response was met by a few chuckles from some of the male students.

Bakugou only grumbled and said, "About damn time, if you ask me."

"Wow, man," Kirishima said, looking at his best friend. "I didn't know you cared about them that much."

"Are you kidding me? Like I give a shit if they get together! I'm just sick of them getting all nervous in front of each other."

"Ignoring Bakugou's language," Iida said before turning his attention back to his friend, "When are you two socializing?"

"Oh, this Saturday," Midoriya said. "It's the only day she and I have off and we figured it would be nice to…" he noticed Mashirao, Kirishima, and Kaminari smiling slyly at him. "What?" he asked in confusion.

"You do know this Saturday is the fourteenth of February, right?" Kirishima asked with a hint of mischief in his voice.

"Y-Yeah?" Midoriya answered.

Kirishima placed a hand on Midoriya's shoulder. "Midoriya...the fourteenth of February is Valentine's Day."

Midoriya continued to look on in confusion until Kirishima's words finally sunk in. His whole face turned a pinkish hue and he began to shake like mad. "EEEEH?!" he exclaimed. "Are you serious?" The others nodded their heads. "Oh my God, what am I going to do?" he said, pacing around the room with worry. "Should I cancel and rearrange for another date? Should I expect chocolates from her? Will it be so awkward that we can't even talk to each other like we do now? Do I-"

Iida placed a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, Midoriya," he said, "you shouldn't worry about any of those things. Like you said, it's just an outing between friends."

Midoriya calmed down and took a deep breath. "You're right," he said with a smile, "it's just a friendly get-together, nothing more."

* * *

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Uraraka repeated to herself while continuing to smack her head against her planner. "How could I forget about Valentine's Day?! What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?"

"Well, for starters, you can calm down," Jiro said, rolling her eyes. "It's just a simple get-together. It's not like you're going out on a date with him."

"But what if he's expecting something else?" Uraraka asked. "What if he expects me to give him chocolates since it'll be Valentine's Day? What if we'll be uncomfortable around other couples? What if we-"

Momo placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen Ochako," she said, "you shouldn't worry about any of those things. Like Kyouka said, it's just an outing between friends."

Uraraka sighed and said, "You're right. I shouldn't worry about this too much."

"Sweet," Mina chimed in, "now let's figure out what you're gonna wear!" She began to pull out various clothes for Uraraka to try on.

"Well, someone's enthusiastic about this whole thing," Jiro muttered.

* * *

After three long and grueling days, Valentine's Day finally came. The forecast was sunny with a high of sixty degrees and a humidity of forty percent, unusual for that time of year. The news anchors said it was to be the nicest day to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Meanwhile at Alliance Heights, Midoriya was pacing back and forth in the living room waiting for Uraraka to join him. He was wearing dark brown pants, a light green shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a sleeveless dark blue vest. Of course, he had to wear his signature red shoes as well.

"Midoriya calm down, will ya?" Kirishima said after watching Midoriya pace back and forth for the twentieth time.

"Sorry," Midoriya said, rubbing the back of his head, "I'm just nervous. Truth be told, I've never hung out with a girl on my own before."

"It's true," Bakugou said. Before UA, girls at their old school would look at Deku like he had three heads if he even so much as tried to talk to them.

"Trust us, Midoriya," Iida said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "everything is going to be fine." Midoriya only responded with a smile.

"D-Deku?" The sound of a familiar voice caused Midoriya to turn his attention towards the stairs. His cheeks turned pink when he saw Uraraka standing at the top of the stairs with the other girls behind her and Eri by her side. She was wearing denim shorts, a white t-shirt, and a beige button-down coat with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She was also wearing green track shoes. She walked up to Midoriya and blushed a little. "You...You look nice," she said.

"Y-You as well," Midoriya said as the redness from his cheeks covered his entire face. For a few minutes, they stood in total silence wondering what to do or say while the rest of their classmates either smirked or giggled.

"ARE YOU TWO MORONS GOING TO LEAVE OR NOT?" Bakugou yelled in frustration, causing both of them to jump nervously.

"R-Right, sorry." Midoriya said. He turned to the others. "Okay, we're going to be gone for awhile. We're counting on you to look after Eri. All of her nutritional information and what she doesn't like are on the fridge. She's not allowed any sweets until after dinner. And that's only if she behaves herself."

"Well, that's all the time, isn't it Eri?" Mina asked, pressing Eri's cheeks together and smiling at her while Eri giggled and nodded vigorously. "Besides," she continued, "she'll be fine. Don't worry about it. You two just have fun today."

"Well, alright," Uraraka said and retrieved her purse. "We'll see you all when we get back. Be good, sweetie." She and Midoriya leaned forward and gave Eri a quick peck on both cheeks, causing the little girl to giggle again.

"Bye, Mama and Papa," she said. Midoriya and Uraraka smiled and walked out of the building. As soon as the doors closed, Mina and Eri ran upstairs to get ready for their mission.

Meanwhile, Bakugou's phone vibrated in his left pocket. He picked it up and, seeing a new message, texted back:

On my way

Should be there at 11:10 at the latest

Pocketing the phone away, he said "I gotta get going. Something important."

Kirishima raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"None of your damn business, that's what it is!" Bakugou snapped before slamming the main entrance doors behind him.

* * *

In some part of the city, Midoriya and Uraraka were walking down the streets while trying to act calm and casual. It was difficult, however, since they had to pass couples who were either holding hands, hugging, or kissing. Seeing such sights caused the two students to blush and glance away from each other.

"S-So," Midoriya said, trying to break the silence, "n-nice weather we're having, huh?"

"Y-Yeah, it is." Uraraka said. Midoriya made a mental note to kick himself for talking about the weather.

Two black-hooded figures wearing sunglasses followed them at a distance, trying to look inconspicuous. The smaller one was wearing a cute hat, which drew the attention of the passers-by.

"Why aren't they doing anything?" Eri asked, a sense of worry in her voice.

"Patience, Eri," Mina said, "everything comes to those who wait. Besides, I've got a few things that may help ease the tension between them."

Midoriya scratched the back of his head before he turned to Uraraka. "So…where are we going again?"

"Oh," Uraraka said, Midoriya's voice snapping her out of her thoughts, "there's this street market that Mina told me about. It's supposed to have some weird and interesting stuff. She went with Kirishima a couple of times in the past."

After thirty minutes of walking, they arrived at the market. The whole street was filled with pedestrians. Pop-up tents with blankets and tables displayed the various items on sale. As Midoriya and Uraraka looked around, they saw a diverse variety of items, ranging from international antiques to vintage goods, handicrafts, accessories, and organic food; as well as flowers and plants. Midoriya and Uraraka moved through the vendors, checking out individual items like hats, action figures, vintage CDs, and clothes, all the while unaware that Mina and Eri were tailing them every two booths.

Midoriya and Uraraka came across a booth that had various articles of jewelry, handicrafts, and accessories. The old woman running the booth smiled at them while they looked at the various items. Uraraka's eyes soon fell on something pink and pretty. It was a pink rose with a clip on the back. Midoriya noticed it as well and picked it up, amazed at how light it felt in his hand. "Hey Uraraka," he said, "Isn't it nice?"

"A hair clip! It's cute!" Uraraka exclaimed before looking at Midoriya. "Can you put it in my hair?"

"Umm...sure." His hands were trembling. He had no idea what to do. "W-Where do you want me to put it?"

She pulled a strand of hair behind her left ear and pointed at it. "Around here should be fine, Deku."

He gulped and took a deep breath. He caught a whiff of her shampoo and almost let the hair clip drop. He was pretty sure she could feel the heat radiating from his face.

He gently put his left hand on her hair to keep it in place and, after what seemed like an eternity, managed to clip it on. "H-Here you go, Uraraka."

"Thanks, Deku…" She caught Izuku's look and realized how close they were to each other. For a minute they stood frozen in place, their faces turning bright pink while looking at each other. The silence between them was finally broken when Midoriya leapt back. "WAAH!" he said, "S-Sorry! I-I-I sh-should've asked first!"

"N-No!" Uraraka said, her face still red. "I-It's okay! Thank you!"

"Hehehehe." The two students turned to see the old woman chuckling at their antics. She looked at them and said, "If you like it so much, I can give you the couple's discount on that hair clip. Only six hundred yen."

"Couple's…discount?" Midoriya and Uraraka both said before glancing at each other. "NO-NO-NO-NO-NO, I-I-I-IT'S NOT LIKE THAT! W-WE'RE JUST FRIENDS, THAT'S ALL!"

"Oh?" the woman asked. She smiled again and turned to Uraraka before saying, "Well, how about I give you the discount anyway since that hair clip really does suit you, dearie."

"Oh," Uraraka said. "Th-thank you." She handed the two coins to the woman and she and Midoriya walked off, their faces still flushed in embarrassment.

Two booths behind them, Mina and Eri were giggling at Uraraka and Midoriya's reactions. "'We're just friends.' Yeah, sure," Mina whispered while Eri continued to giggle. "Right, then," Mina said once she composed herself, "if all goes according to plan, they'll be kissing by lunchtime."

"Right!" Eri said in agreement.

* * *

The rest of the shopping excursion was uneventful, though Midoriya and Uraraka had avoided each other's gaze for a while out of embarrassment. By the time they had reached the last booth, Midoriya had gotten a vinyl record of Elvis Bresley (his mother's favorite singer), an old Farchie comic (a favorite of All Might's), and a copy of To Kill a Jaybird. Aside from the hairclip, Uraraka had also acquired a pair of durable work gloves for her father, an antique vase that her mother could use, and a ball-and-cup game for Eri.

It was around noon that their stomachs began to growl with hunger. "I guess it's that time of the day, huh?" Midoriya said sheepishly. "You wouldn't happen to know any good restaurants around, would you?"

"Actually, I do," Uraraka said. "Mina suggested this restaurant close by that's supposed to have some really good food. Wanna give it a try?"

Midoriya smiled. "Sure, that sounds great!"

After a few minutes of following directions on Midoriya's phone, they arrived at a sit-in restaurant. Once they walked inside, they saw that it looked completely normal if you didn't count the heart decorations dangling from the ceiling. Midoriya and Uraraka proceeded to take a booth and looked through the menu.

A waitress walked over to them. "Hello! My name is Mika and I'll be your server. So, what will you two be having?"

Midoriya took a quick glance back at the menu. "I'll have the pork korokke and for a drink, just green tea, please."

"And I'll have the chicken katsu and green tea as well," Uraraka said before she and Midoriya handed Mika their menus.

"Alright then, I'll be back with your drinks," Mika said, walking off to leave the two students to themselves.

Mina and Eri had taken a table on the opposite side of the restaurant in order to keep enough distance from the two. Eri whispered, "So, do you think this plan will work, Auntie?"

"Trust me on this one, Eri." Mina said with a smirk. "There's a good reason I suggested this restaurant to Uraraka."

Midoriya and Uraraka were nervously twiddling their thumbs while avoiding each other's gazes. The tension was broken, however, when Mika came back with two cups and a kettle of green tea. They each poured themselves some and quietly sipped the warm beverage.

"S-So," Midoriya said when Uraraka set her cup down, "H-How's your tea?"

"It's nice, actually. How's yours?"

"Same. I mean, we both ordered the same drink."

"Oh, right," Uraraka said sheepishly. "Sorry."

They resumed their silence for a few minutes until Midoriya said, "So, I found out that there's going to be an all-new All Might figurine coming out next month. I just got on the waitlist for it yesterday."

"Well, that sounds…exciting," Uraraka said. Midoriya could sense her lack of interest in the subject.

"I…I'm sorry, Uraraka," he said. "It's just that…I don't know what to talk about in this situation. I mean, I've never gone out with a girl before."

"It's alright, Deku," Uraraka said. "To be honest, I've never done this either."

"Really? Why wouldn't someone want to go out with a girl as sweet and beautiful as you?" The question he had asked soon dawned on him and his face turned beet-red. "Oh God, I-I'm so sorry! I-I just thought m-m-maybe you've been on a couple outings. Not that I'm saying you've dated a lot of guys, it's just that…Oh God, what was I thinking?!" He buried his face into his hands.

"PFTHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Midoriya moved his hands from his face when he heard Uraraka laugh. After a while, she ceased and placed her hand on his. "Deku," she said with a smile, "it's okay. I know you didn't mean to imply that. But it was really sweet of you to say those things."

"Oh," Midoriya said. "Well…you're welcome."

"Here are your meals!" The announcement caused both Midoriya and Uraraka to turn and see Mika holding a plate in each hand. "Enjoy," she said, setting them down carefully. Midoriya could smell the meaty aroma of his deep-fried pork. It came with a side of shredded cabbage. Meanwhile, Uraraka's mouth watered at the sight of her chicken katsu, which also came with shredded cabbage and sliced tomato wedges.

Using her chopsticks, Uraraka picked up a piece of the chicken and ate it. Her eyes widened when the juicy meat and the spices hit her taste buds. "Wow, this is really good!" She picked up another piece. "Hey, Deku, you wanna try it?"

"Huh?" Midoriya asked. It took him a few seconds to remember what she had asked. "S-Sure, Uraraka." He leaned forward across the table and took a bite from Uraraka's outstretched chopsticks "Wow," he said after swallowing, "that is really good." He picked up a piece of his own meal. "Do you want one as well, Uraraka?"

"Sure!" she exclaimed. Uraraka opened her mouth and bit down on the slice of pork that was between Midoriya's chopsticks. She chewed on it slowly with closed eyes. "Wow, that's delicious!" She opened her eyes again and turned her attention to Midoriya, who was staring at her with an odd expression on his face. "Deku," Uraraka asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" Midoriya said. "Oh, sorry, Uraraka. Nothing's wrong. I'm fine."

The rest of the meal went well. Midoriya and Uraraka each enjoyed their meals and talked casually like two good friends. Uraraka was even kind enough to share a few of her tomato wedges. Meanwhile, Mina and Eri were both keeping a watchful eye on the two students. Mina turned to the little girl and whispered, "See, the strategy is to get them to calm down and make them feel comfortable around each other. And when the time is right," she continued with a smile while Eri drank apple juice from her cup, "we reel in the prize."

After a good twenty-five minutes, Midoriya and Uraraka rested against the back of their seats with their plates empty and their bellies full. "That was delicious," Uraraka said while patting her stomach, "I don't think I can eat another bite."

"Same here," Midoriya said.

"So, did you two enjoy your meals?" The two friends turned to see Mika standing before them with a smile on her face.

"Yes we did," the two said in unison.

"Excellent! Now, before you two pay and leave, I would like to know if you would be interested in participating in our annual Biscuit Challenge."

"Biscuit Challenge?" Midoriya asked.

"It's a contest this restaurant hosts every year on Valentine's Day for couples." Mika showed them a cup filled with chocolate-covered biscuit sticks. "The challenge is to gently put one end of the biscuit in your mouth while your partner does the same with the other end. Then, you keep biting into the stick until either of you stop or the biscuit breaks off. The shorter the distance, the greater the prize."

Midoriya and Uraraka looked at each other before glancing back at Mika. "And what has to happen in order to get the top prize?" Uraraka asked.

Mika smiled and said, "Well, in order to win the top prize, there would have to be no trace of the biscuit between you two. In other words, you would have to be kissing."

Midoriya's face reddened when Mika finished explaining the rules. 'Me…Uraraka….K-K-K-KISS?!' he thought in panic. If they kissed, what would happen to them in the future? Would they still be considered friends?

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Mika said abruptly. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to. Maybe this was a bit too much to ask-"

"We'll do it!" Uraraka exclaimed, causing many of the other patrons to turn their heads in confusion.

"U-U-Uraraka?" Midoriya asked.

"W-We don't really have to fully kiss, Deku," she said. "W-We'll just stop with whatever we feel comfortable with. A-And besides, it would be cool to win something."

Midoriya thought about it: it would be nice to do something out of his comfort zone. And even if they didn't kiss, they would win something nice. "O-Okay, let's do it!" he said with confidence.

"Excellent!" Mika exclaimed with delight. She pulled out a biscuit stick from the cup and handed it to Uraraka. Uraraka lightly placed one end of the stick in her mouth while Izuku placed the other end in his. Both students gulped nervously at how close they were to each other.

Eri and Mina were glancing over to try and catch a glimpse of the two students. "Now, Eri," Mina said with a smirk, "the real fun begins."

"I….I guess I'll go first," Midoriya said.

"S-Sure," Uraraka replied. Midoriya began by taking a few small bites before pausing. Uraraka took it as her cue to start biting, inching closer and closer until there was about four inches left. Gulping, the two rose up in their seats, careful not to break the stick as they did. They soon began simultaneously chewing on the stick, their faces growing redder and redder by each inch. Unbeknownst to them, their hands started to get closer as well.

After a few agonizing minutes, Midoriya and Uraraka found themselves with half an inch of the stick between them. They were so close to each other that the tips of their noses were touching. As they continued to stare at each other, their faces became a dark shade of red. They immediately froze, each of them afraid to make the first move.

Around them, the other patrons and even the staff paused at what they were doing and looked on in curiosity. Even Mina and Eri were covering their mouths to silence their squeals of delight.

"S-So," Mika said, "d-do you two give up?"

Uraraka blinked in surprise at Mika's words. It was then that her mind was set: she was not going to back down from this challenge. There was no way she would give up. She slowly opened her mouth, ready to take the final bite while many of the patrons, including Mina and Eri, hitched their breaths in anticipation.

"Yo, Midoriya! Uraraka! What's up?" Kaminari's voice called out from behind them.

"GAH!" Both students jumped apart from each other while the last bit of the stick landed on the table. Some patrons sighed in disappointment. Mina and Eri, however, looked devastated. The former made a mental note to make the Electricity User pay for interfering with her plans.

"K-K-Kaminari, J-Jiro," Uraraka stuttered, "W-W-What are you two doing here?"

"Remember that incident last month when the scaffolding from that building fell and this idiot tackled me out of the way from getting crushed?" Jiro asked, pointing a thumb at Kaminari. "Well, apparently I owe him a favor, so he brought me to this restaurant."

A sudden cough caused the four of them to turn their attention toward Mika. "Well, it's a shame you didn't complete the challenge," she said, causing Midoriya and Uraraka to blush, "but you two did win a free meal voucher for this restaurant!"

"We'll use it for our meal, please," Midoriya said, glancing downward. Both students were red in the face and could barely look at each other. With the meal all paid for, they quickly grabbed their things and left the restaurant.

"You think I interrupted something between them?" Kaminari asked. The Earphone Jack User only shook her head while they went to their table.

"I can't believe that electric-brained moron ruined that part of the plan!" Mina exclaimed once she had paid their waitress. "That whole biscuit challenge was the reason I suggested this restaurant to your Mama." She looked at Eri, who had an expression of sadness and disappointment on her face. "But don't lose heart, Eri," she continued while they made their way to the doors, "there's still one plan I have for your Papa and Mama. If it doesn't get them to confess and kiss, I don't know what wi-"

"Pinky? Short Stack?"

Mina and Eri looked up, only for their eyes to widen when they saw Bakugou and a slim girl with fawn-colored hair standing next to him. Mina recognized the girl from the Provisional Hero License Exam last year. She had been part of the group from Shiketsu High School.

"Were you two spying on Deku and Round-Face?"

"Never mind what we're doing here," Mina said. "What are you doing here with…I'm so sorry,I just can't seem to remember your name."

"It's alright," the girl said. "Name's Camie Utsushimi, Baku-bae's girlfriend." Mina gaped at the news.

"How many times have I told you not to call me 'bae'?" Bakugou asked through gritted teeth.

"Aw, but it totes suites you, bae," Camie said before turning her attention back to Mina. "And you are?"

"Mina Ashido. I'm one of Bakugou's classmates," the Acid User said before glancing down at Eri. "And this little one is Eri. She lives with me, Bakugou, and the rest of our classmates." She noticed Camie's confused look. "After a few of us rescued her from some villains, the principal put us in charge of her."

"Oh," Camie said before her smile returned. She knelt down and smiled at Eri. "Hey, Eri. Name's Camie. Nice to meet you." Upon her greeting, Camie saw Eri scuffle behind Mina's leg and cling to it in fear. Camie extended an open palm. "It's okay, Eri. I know Bakugou. You can totes trust me."

After a few moments of thought, Eri decided to make her way toward Camie, stepping hesitantly until she placed her hand in hers. Camie's hand was soft and smooth like Uraraka's. Eri looked into Camie's eyes and saw trust and comfort, which caused her to ease up. Camie's gaze moved to her horn. "OMG, Eri, your horn is totes adorable!" Eri giggled at her sudden excitement. Camie touched it gently while maintaining her smile at Eri, who returned said smile in response.

Mina met Bakugou's signature glare. He got in her face and whispered, "Tell anyone about her, even Kirishima, and you're dead, Pinky."

Mina only gave an evil smile at Bakugou's threat. "Oh, don't worry, Bakugou. As long as you remain a good boy and don't tell Midoriya and Ochako about us following them, nobody has to know about you and your girlfriend." She said the last word in a sing-song voice. Bakugou only scowled, his cheeks turning a bright pink. "Well," Mina said, taking Eri by the hand, "it was nice to meet you Camie, but we have to go. Say 'bye', Eri."

"Bye, Ms. Camie. Bye, Kacchan," Eri said before she followed Mina through the restaurant doors.

"It was nice to meet Mina," Camie said, watching the two of them leave. "And Eri was totes adorable."

"Yeah, she's really precious," Bakugou said through gritted teeth.

* * *

Midoriya and Uraraka were walking around the city with red faces. Even after they had left the restaurant, they had avoided looking at each other out of embarrassment for participating in that challenge.

After walking for almost half an hour, they came upon a park with a large gazebo in the middle. Looking around, they saw families enjoying the sunshine or playing, couples holding hands or dancing, and a band playing music in the gazebo. The two students noticed an empty bench close to them and decided to take a break.

It was after a few minutes of silence that Uraraka finally spoke up. "Deku, I," she began before taking a deep breath to steady herself. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable back at the restaurant. I wasn't thinking about your feelings and-"

"No, Uraraka, don't." Midoriya said. "You shouldn't apologize. I agreed to take part in that contest with you. You just seemed so happy that I didn't want to disappoint you by saying 'no'. And besides," he added before glancing at Uraraka with a smile, "we got a free meal out of it."

Uraraka couldn't help but smile along with Midoriya. No matter the situation or how upset she was, she could always count on his smile and kind words to make anything seem better than it was. It was one of the many reasons why she liked him so much. "So," she said after a minute of silence, "how about we put the incident behind us and just enjoy the rest of the day?"

"Sounds great," Midoriya said, still maintaining his contagious smile.

"Alright, all you happy couples out there!" The lead singer of the band called out. "Since it's Valentine's Day, we're gonna be playing some love ballads for you. First on our lineup is the song 'L-O-V-E' performed by our very own Pat Cole!"

A middle-aged man walked up to the microphone and waved at those who were applauding. He nodded to the band, who began to play a classic jazz tune. Pat then snapped his fingers and began to sing.

As the song began, many couples began to swing and sway to the beat of the music. Even Midoriya and Uraraka were bopping to the rhythm and smiling. Midoriya turned to Uraraka and an image of the two of them dancing together popped into his mind. His face turned a shade of red at the thought, but something inside him told him to do something he had never done before: ask a girl to dance with him. 'I mean,' he thought, 'it would just be some dancing between friends, nothing more.'

As the song reached it's instrumental bridge, Midoriya knew that this was the moment to ask. He stood up, turned to Uraraka, and asked, "U-Uraraka…w-would you like to dance? I-I mean, i-i-it's okay if you don't want. I-I-I just-"

"Sure."

"Huh?" Midoriya asked.

"Sure," Uraraka repeated before taking his hand. "I'd love to dance."

"Oh," Midoriya said in surprise. "G-Great." He led her to the brick pathway and placed his right hand against her waist. Uraraka placed her left hand on his right shoulder, with her pinkie raised in order to prevent him from floating away. They began to sway to the music as Pat picked up on the song.

While the music continued to play, Uraraka and Midoriya both began to calm down and smile at each other. Both soon laughed a bit at how much fun they were having, even if they were just swaying and not actually dancing.

The song came to an end and the two friends clapped along with everyone else when Pat Cole took a bow and returned to his seat and instrument. "Thanks, Pat!" The lead singer of the band said.

Mina and Eri were hiding in a bush near the pathway, watching Midoriya and Uraraka. "And you're sure this will work, Auntie?" Eri asked.

"Trust me, sweetie, it will," Mina said with a smile. "I gave the band a hefty tip to play a song I requested. Your Mama and Papa will be kissing in no time."

"And now," the lead singer announced, "we'll be playing one of our hits, 'You are in Love'." He picked up a guitar and started strumming it. After a few seconds, he sang.

Many couples moved closer as they danced to the slow rhythm, Midoriya and Uraraka among them. Midoriya placed both hands around Uraraka's waist while Uraraka placed her hands on Midoriya's shoulders. Once they felt comfortable, they began to move in a circle.

Uraraka and Midoriya looked at each other and soon realized how close their faces were. She was able to make out the smallest freckle on his face while he was able to make out the scent of her lavender perfume. Uraraka looked into Midoriya's green eyes and saw the boy who had saved her when they first met. The boy whose words and determination gave her the strength to continue on with her dream. The boy… she had feelings for, but had pushed them away so she could become a great hero, just like him.

Midoriya was looking into Uraraka's eyes and saw the girl who always saw the good in things. The girl who always greeted the day with a smile. The girl…who he had feelings for, but had pushed them aside because he felt that she deserved someone better than him.

Looking at each other, they lost track of everything else. A new sensation built up inside both of them. Neither one could tell what it was, but that it felt strangely good.

"Uraraka," Midoriya whispered. "T-There's something I have to-"

"Ochako."

"Huh?" Midoriya asked in confusion.

Ochako only looked at him. "That's my first name: Ochako."

"Oh…okay," Midoriya said.

Almost on instinct, Uraraka and Midoriya closed their eyes and slowly leaned in toward each other, tempting to close the gap between their lips.

"ACHOO!"

Uraraka and Midoriya retracted from each other in surprise. "You heard that, right?" Midoriya asked.

"Yeah," Uraraka said, "and it sounded very familiar."

"It came from over there," Midoriya added, pointing to a bush on his right. The two of them walked over and were surprised to find a certain one-horned angel and a girl with pink skin and pink hair hiding there with their backs turned to them. "Eri? Mina?" Midoriya asked.

Mina and Eri whipped right around to see Midoriya and Uraraka staring at them. "Midoriya! Ochako!" Mina exclaimed with false excitement. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We were spending time together," Uraraka said before her features went dark. "Why are you two hiding in the bushes? And spying on us?" She picked up the set of binoculars next to the bush.

"Well," Mina said while Eri fidgeted nervously. "You see...the thing is, we...ummm..."

Midoriya crossed his arms and frowned. "I believe you two have some explaining to do," he said.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Midoriya said after Mina had told them the whole story. "This entire excursion was just a set-up to make Uraraka and I confess our feelings for each other and kiss?" Mina and Eri nodded in unison.

"I cannot believe you, Mina!" Uraraka exclaimed while glaring at the Acid User. "This was highly irresponsible and downright manipulative. And to top it all off, you got Eri involved in it. I mean, what were you thinking, dragging her into something like this?"

"Mama, stop!" Eri cried out. "It's not Auntie Mina's fault, it's mine." At this revelation, Midoriya's and Uraraka's eyes widened in shock. "I saw how you and Papa got nervous around each other and I thought that it was because you loved each other, but were afraid to show it. I wanted you to show your love to each other so we could be more like a family. That's why I asked Auntie Mina for help. Don't punish her, punish me!" At this, Eri couldn't stop the flow of tears that ran down her face.

Midoriya's and Uraraka's features immediately softened. They both looked at each other with concern and understanding before directing their attention back at the little girl. "Sweetheart," Midoriya said in a calm manner. "Do you know why Mama and I were so upset about this whole thing?" Eri shook her head. "It was because we felt like we were being used and it made us feel uncomfortable knowing that. You should never try to force something onto two people because it might damage the relationship they already have and that could hurt them in more ways than one."

"But that doesn't mean we don't love you any less, honey," Uraraka said, kneeling down and placing her hand on Eri's cheek to wipe her tears away. "And we are proud of you for being honest and admitting your mistakes. And just because Papa and I aren't together doesn't mean we are less of a family."

"Am...am I going to be punished?" Eri asked through her sniffles.

Midoriya and Uraraka once again looked at each other and nodded. "No," Uraraka said. "We think you've been punished enough and you seem to have learned your lesson. But if you do this again, there will be consequences. Understand?" Eri nodded.

The two students pulled Eri into a tight embrace. "Now then," Midoriya said once the trio finished hugging, "how about we all go home?" Eri and Uraraka nodded; the sun was going down and it had been a long day. Eri took a hand each and walked between them.

"Well," Mina said, who was walking alongside Uraraka, "today certainly has been interesting, huh?"

"Oh, don't think you're off the hook just yet, Mina," Uraraka said while glaring at the Acid User. "You're still in trouble for getting Eri involved."

"Wait, what?"

* * *

After the four of them returned to Alliance Heights, the rest of the day was uneventful. When asked by their fellow classmates how their excursion had been, Uraraka and Midoriya merely stated that they'd had fun. Of course, there was an incident later on in which Kaminari sustained injuries for blabbing about Bakugou dating Camie Utsushimi.

"Now, Eri," Midoriya said once they had tucked her into bed, "what did we learn?"

"Don't play matchmaker," Eri said while clutching her Deku plushie.

"Exactly," Uraraka said before leaning over and kissing her horn gently. "Okay, munchkin. Good night."

With that, Eri rested her head and closed her eyes. Midoriya and Uraraka walked back slowly in order to not wake her. It was only after they had closed the door behind them that they started laughing. "Wow," Uraraka said, "she certainly is something, huh?"

"Tell me about it," Midoriya said before shaking his head. "We're going to have to watch our backs around her from now on."

After a few minutes of laughing, they calmed themselves. "Hey, Deku," Uraraka said, her tone becoming more serious. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what is it?"

Uraraka gulped. "When we danced…did you feel anything unusual? Like something warm?"

Midoriya hesitated at her question. "Y-Yeah," he replied.

"I see," Uraraka said. "Truth be told, I've felt it before in the past."

"Y-You have?" Midoriya asked. "W-When?"

"Well…" Uraraka's face turned bright pink. "It happens whenever I look at you or see you in action." She looked him right in the eyes. "Because the truth is…I…I really like you, Deku!"

Midoriya's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything.

"I've liked you for a very long time, Deku," Uraraka continued. "Ever since you saved me during the Entrance Exam, I started having these feelings that I couldn't explain at the time. But after I got to know you more and saw you in action, I began to understand them more. You never seem to lose hope in the darkest of times, you're always willing to help those in need, and you always give me the strength to accomplish my own goal. It's because of who you are and what you do that I understood that these feelings I have for you are more than just liking you as a friend."

"But when I realized I liked you more than as a friend, I knew that in order for us to accomplish both our dreams, I had to push aside these feelings. And besides," she added, "I figured you deserved someone better than me. I mean, I'm just some plain, boring girl who can't even- Eep!"

Midoirya pulled her into a tight embrace. "Uraraka, stop," Midoriya said softly. "I don't see you as some plain, boring girl. You're the most amazing girl I've ever met in my life. I've always admired how you see the good in every situation and greet the day with a smile. Whenever I begin to lose hope, you're always there for me. And just like how I give you the strength to work toward your goal, you give me the strength to achieve mine." Uraraka couldn't help but smile at Midoriya's words.

"Truth be told," Midoriya continued, "I also pushed my feelings for you aside because I felt that you deserved someone way better than me, like Iida or Todoroki. I mean, who would want to be with a nobody like me? A late bloomer in regards to his Quirk who-"

Uraraka broke away from the embrace and placed her hands on Midoriya's cheeks. She gave him a stern look before speaking. "I'm going to stop you right there, Deku, because there are a few things I need to tell you. First, I don't ever want to hear you say that about yourself. You are an amazing person who is selfless, caring, brave, honest, and who is willing to fight for what he believes in, no matter what. Understand?" She waited for Midoriya to nod before she continued. "Second, Iida is a great guy, but he's like a brother to me. As for Todoroki, he's a bit dense when it comes to girls. And Momo kinda has feelings for him already, so he's off limits."

Uraraka's gaze softened as she continued. "And finally, stop calling me Uraraka. I told you at the park that my name is Ochako. I wouldn't mind if you started using my first name."

"O-Okay," Midoriya said before taking ahold of Uraraka's wrists and gently pulling her hands from his cheeks. "A-And you can call me Izuku. I mean, that's i-i-if you want. I-I don't want to p-pressure you or anything. I mean, I-I'm fine with just Deku."

"S-Sure," Uraraka said. "I-I mean, we can use our first names whenever we're alone or if we're with Eri."

"Oh," Midoriya said before calming himself down. "O-Okay."

The two continued to stand in silence, still holding hands, until Uraraka spoke up. "So…what are we now? Are we friends? Are we something more?"

"I'm not sure, exactly," Midoriya said. "I like you a lot, Ura-…Ochako, but I don't want to ruin what we already have."

Uraraka's eyes lit up. "Then how about this," she started. "We make a pact that, no matter what happens between us, we'll always be friends. I don't want to ruin what we have either, Izuku, but I'm not afraid to try and see if we could be more than just friends."

Midoriya thought about it for a moment. A smile grew on his face and he said, "Yeah, no matter what, we'll still be friends."

They stood there, smiling at each other, before Midoriya spoke. "So…I guess we're dating now?" he asked.

"I-I guess so," Uraraka said.

The two of them realized how close they were to each other. Uraraka had her hands on Midoriya's chest while he had his hands on her hips. The heavy breathing between them caused both their cheeks to heat up.

"O-Ochako," Midoriya whispered, "I-Is it okay if I…"

"S-Sure," she whispered back, knowing full well what he was asking permission for. Gulping, Midoriya began leaning toward her, his eyes slowly closing while she followed suit.

After what felt like an eternity, their lips finally connected with each other. It was a clumsy first kiss; it was off-centered and hesitant at the same time. But to the two students, it was perfect. They continued the awkward kiss until they pulled apart for some air.

"I-I'm sorry, Ochako," Midoriya said. "I'm sure it wasn't the best kiss ever."

"It's okay, Izuku," Uraraka said. They stood in silence again before she continued with, "We…We could have a do-over, if you want."

"O-Okay," Midoriya said. And before he knew it, Uraraka had pressed her lips against his. Midoriya stiffened at first, but after a few seconds he kissed her back. Uraraka took the opportunity to move her hands from Midoriya's chest to his shoulders. For the two friends-turned-lovers, time stood still. The rest of the world could go about in the same way; what mattered most was this moment with just themselves and no one else.

Neither of them noticed a smirking Mina taking pictures of them on her phone from the corner of the hallway, nor a smiling Eri peeking through the open bedroom door.

* * *

Bonus Content 1

Kyoka Jiro was lying on her bed and looking up at the ceiling. It had been one hell of a day: First, she was asked by Kaminari to go out for lunch. Then, the blonde idiot had to interrupt whatever Midoriya and Uraraka were doing at the restaurant. After that, he had ordered the spiciest meal at the restaurant. He had screamed so loud that they were thrown out. And of course, Kaminari just had to open his mouth about Bakugou dating that Utsushimi girl. That, of course, resulted in Bakugou blasting him with his Quirk. Jiro only sighed and draped her right arm over her eyes. At least the day was over.

A sudden ping from her phone caught her attention. She unlocked her screen and her eyes widened at what she saw. It was a picture of her and Kaminari taken while they were walking to the restaurant. Kaminari was holding the phone with one hand while his other was placed on Jiro's right hip. Jiro herself looked tense while she glanced away from both Kaminari and the phone.

It was while looking at the picture that Jiro remembered that there were some moments about the day that were good. Like how he wanted her to choose the restaurant so she could enjoy herself. Or how they shared similar interests when it came to music. And there was that moment when he lightly kissed her on the cheek and thanked her for spending time with him before she went to bed.

Jiro lowered her phone onto her chest and rested both hands on it before closing her eyes. "He's an idiot…" A small smile formed on her lips.

* * *

Bonus Content 2

Earlier that day…

Inko Midoriya was at her favorite cafe, waiting for her date to arrive. She was nervous; this was the first time she had ever tried dating since she met Hisashi almost twenty years ago. One might say it had been love at first sight. She always knew how to make him laugh, shared her secrets with him, and was more than willing to help him in any way she could. Hisashi, in turn, made her feel safe and warm, knew how to make her smile, and cared for her enough to let her into his life. Her features saddened when she remembered how happy she was with him before the unfortunate incident.

Seventeen years ago, Hisashi had been called to handle a hostage situation in downtown Tokyo involving a rich CEO's family and a gang of villains. The mission was a success, but Hisashi had sacrificed himself to save a child from falling debris. Inko remembered how devastated she had been when she heard the news; it was like her life had ended. Seven months later, Izuku was born.

When he was old enough to ask where his father was, Inko couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth. So she fabricated a story that Hisashi was off in the States doing hero work. Fortunately for her, little Izuku believed it. When he got older however, Inko suspected that her son knew the truth, but didn't want to upset her by telling her so.

Truth be told, Inko had been contemplating dating again for years. However, she always held back in fear of her son being hurt by the idea that she was replacing his father with someone else. But after seeing how Izuku looked at that Uraraka girl, she figured that now was as great a time as any to start getting back on the market.

The bell over the entrance rang, indicating the arrival of a new customer. Inko looked up above the crowd and smiled when she saw her date approaching. "Sorry I'm late," he said before sitting down, "traffic was a nightmare."

"It's quite alright," Inko said with a warm smile. "I hope you don't mind; I ordered your coffee for you."

"Don't worry about it," he said, taking a sip of the caffeinated drink. "It's delicious." Setting the cup down, he glanced at Inko. "To be honest, I was a bit surprised that you agreed to meet me here."

"Well, I figured since my Izuku is growing up and might leave the house one day, it was time to start dating again. And…" She looked at him before continuing, "I wanted to personally thank you for everything that you've done for me and Izuku."

Her date nodded. "It's no trouble at all, Ms. Midoriya."

To his surprise, Inko giggled and placed her hand on top of his before saying, "Please, no need for formalities. Call me Inko."

The man returned the smile and placed his other bony hand over hers. "Very well, Inko," he said, "call me Toshinori."

* * *

 **Yes, yes, YES! IZUOCHA IS FINALLY CANON! And we are finally introduced to both KatCam and InkoMight (or whatever the internet has called that ship)! This was both exciting and exhausting to write, guys. I hope you all enjoyed it.**

 **For those of you who haven't read the latest chapter of my RWBY fic, I will be taking a month-long vacation from writing. Why? Because RWBY and My Hero Academia are equally demanding when it comes to get a story updated! Seriously, I love you guys, but even authors need a break once in a while. But don't fret; this doesn't mean I'm done with this amazing story. You will hear from me before the end of August.**

 **Huge, huge, HUGE kudos to RD1042 for editing and giving me tips within such a short time frame. If you are reading this RD, I cannot thank you enough for what you did for both me and this fic. Oh; and if you guys want more BNHA goodness, check out his story "Keep Talking and Somebody Explodes". Let's just say it involves a certain short-tempered student and his explosive personality.**

 **And of course, don't forget to favorite, review, and follow this story if you want more sweet goodness. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to someplace warm and relaxing.**

 **Oh, and one more thing, if you spot me at Boston Comic Con on Saturday August 17th, 2019, I may just put your idea into a future chapter of Family Matters. (Hint: I will be dressed as the Joker).**

 **Until then, this is AnimeFan299110 encouraging you all to go beyond...PLUS ULTRA!**


	10. The Truth Revealed

**Hey guys, this is AnimeFan299110! Sorry it took so long for this chapter to be published, but personal reasons and other projects kept me busy. Again, I do not own Boku no Hero Academia, its characters, or its locations. They are all owned by Kohei Horikoshi, Jump Comics, and Funimation.**

 **And now, without further ado,...here is the newest installment of Family Matters!**

* * *

 _SMASH!_

Midoriya leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the gigantic robot's fist. The city district was in shambles; some of the buildings were nothing but rubble and half the street was destroyed. Noticing that the robot started turning toward him, he knew he had to stop it once and for all. When the robot stopped turning, Midoriya activated Full Cowl and leapt into the air.

"Detroit..." Midoriya said as he balled his hand into a fist, "Smash!" His fist connected with the robot's head, causing the metal to bend and break. The robot keeled over backwards and crashed to the ground. Midoriya's feet found solid ground, and he waited in case of an oncoming attack. Only when the robot shut down did he relax.

"Not bad, Midoriya." The boy turned to see Mr. Aizawa come out of a hidden doorway along with the rest of Class 1-A. They were in a giant circular room at UA that provided virtual reality simulations for training purposes. The room's computer had data on every student at the school and would calibrate different scenarios based on the student's Quirk.

"You were able to beat the robot within the time limit," Mr. Aizawa continued, "but your environmental damage could have been minimized. Remember, you and your opponent are not the only ones around. You should always be mindful of other heroes, civilians, property around you, and how your actions could affect them. Right," he added, turning to the rest of the class, "that's all for today. Class dismissed."

The rest of the class dispersed, with one girl in particular rushing toward Midoriya. "You're not hurt, are you, Deku?" she asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, Uraraka," he said. "Just a few scratches and scrapes, but nothing too serious. How about you?"

"Still a little nauseous from making too many things float," she admitted, rubbing the back of her head. "But other than that, I'm fine."

"Glad to hear," Midoriya said, smiling at his girlfriend while she did the same. For a few moments, they remained where they were until…

"Ah, young love," Sero teased, "doesn't it just warm your heart?" Uraraka and Midoriya's faces reddened while some of their classmates snickered at Sero's remark.

"I think it's sweet that she's concerned," Tooru said. "It just shows how much she cares about him."

The two lovers sighed in defeat. It had been two weeks since they went on their "date" and they had confessed their feelings toward each other. Unbeknownst to them, Mina had spread the news to the rest of the class. Needless to say, there were some mixed reactions when Midoriya and Uraraka came downstairs the next day.

The girls, besides Mina, rushed Uraraka, squealing with delight and asking for details on how it happened. Most of the boys, including Kirishima and Kaminari, congratulated Midoriya on finally confessing his feelings toward her. Others, like Tokoyami and Shoji, only nodded in approval. Mineta ended up sobbing and berating Midoriya for stealing his chance to "cop a feel,"which earned him a stab in the eye from Kyoka's earphone jack.. Iida managed to pull both of them aside and expressed his happiness in knowing that his two best friends were together. The only one who didn't participate in the festivities was Bakugou, who only gave his signature glare before eating his breakfast. Midoriya wasn't bothered by it; he knew Bakugou wasn't the type to give compliments.

As the boys were getting changed into their school uniforms, Midoriya smiled a bit at the thought of Uraraka. Despite the periodic teasing from his classmates, he was happy with their relationship. Since this was the first relationship for both of them, they were currently taking things slow and easy. They were only affectionate toward each other when it was just themselves. They would kiss from time to time, but those were only simple kisses that weren't too intimate. And they called each other by their first names, but only in private. But for some reason, it didn't seem to bother them. They both felt, given their current situation, that this was acceptable. Midoriya's smile widened at the thought of Eri being elated that her "mama" and "papa" were finally together.

"Hey, Deku." A gruff voice snapped Midoriya out of his thoughts. He looked around and only saw Bakugou next to him; the others had left to return to the dorms.

"Y-Yes, Kacchan, wh-what is it?" he asked nervously, his classmate's glare boring into him.

"So you and Round-Face are officially dating, huh?" Bakugou asked, his gaze never leaving Midoriya.

"Oh," Midoriya said before scratching the back of his head. "Yes, we are. I-I-I mean, we still haven't gone on an official date, but we do k-"

"Deku, I don't really give a shit if you two are together or not. What I want to know is…have you told her yet?"

Midoriya only stared in confusion at Bakugou's words before asking, "Told her what?"

"DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME, SHITHEAD!" Midoriya flinched. "I'm asking if you told Round-Face about your Quirk."

"Oh," Midoriya said before his face turned pale. "Well…no. I-I just don't see why I should-"

Bakugou grabbed Midoriya by the collar of his shirt and pinned him against the lockers. "Listen, dumbass, I get that shit like that is confidential, but you have to tell her."

"…But why?"

"Because you're in a relationship with her, moron," Bakugou added. "Relationships are based on trust. And if you can't be honest with her about shit like this, how can she trust you in the future?"

"B-but All Might said-"

"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT ALL MIGHT SAYS! DECIDE FOR YOURSELF FOR ONCE WITHOUT USING THAT BONY SKELETON AS AN EXCUSE!" Midoriya felt Bakugou's grip against his collar loosen. "Listen, Deku," Bakugou said, "Do whatever you want, but if Round-Face finds out later rather than sooner and she doesn't trust you afterwards, don't say I didn't warn you." And with that, Bakugou left the locker room, leaving Midoriya with his thoughts.

* * *

For the next few days, Bakugou's words racked inside Midoriya's head. There were some points during the day when he was so distracted by the thought that he would miss a question in class or an order during training. When any of his classmates asked if he was alright, Midoriya would say yes and that he was just tired.

'What should I do?' he kept asking himself. 'Should I tell Ochako, or shouldn't I? I mean, we're in a relationship and she trusts me. But if I told her, what if she doesn't see me as this great hero and breaks up with me? What if I tell her and it's not even Ochako? What if it's some villain in disguise who'd be willing to give that information to the League? Then everyone I know and love will be in danger and-'

"Izuku?"

"AHA!" Midoriya cried out in surprise. He turned around to see Uraraka looking at him in concern.

"Are you okay?" Uraraka asked. "You've been acting very strange these past few days. Is something bothering you?"

"N-no! Nothing's wrong. I'm fine. I just…haven't had enough sleep lately." His nervous grin soon faltered when he noticed the doubt in Uraraka's eyes.

"Are you sure, Izuku?" She cupped his cheek. "You know you can talk to me if something is bothering you." Midoriya smiled before taking her hand gently in his and moving it from his face. He felt extremely lucky to have a girlfriend who cared about him as she did.

"I'm fine, Ochako, honest," he said. "I've just had a lot on my plate lately." His cell phone vibrated, indicating a message. Midoriya picked it up, read it, and pocketed it. "I gotta go," he said. "My weekly meeting with All Might. I'll see you later." He then gave her a quick peck on the cheek before turning and walking away.

"I'll see you when you get back, Izuku." He heard Uraraka call out. Once again, he failed to hide the smile on his face when he heard her say his name. That smile soon faltered when he remembered that he was hiding his secret from her. Maybe it was something he could talk to All Might about. After walking for ten minutes, he arrived at the faculty break room.

"Young Midoriya," his mentor said upon seeing him, "nice of you to join me. I hope things are going well for you." Midoriya only nodded before taking a seat across from him. "I've spoken to your teachers; they say your grasp on your Quirk has improved and your academic scores have remained consistently high. We may have to do something about Black Whip, though. Perhaps I could talk to Nezu about holding a private training se- Are you listening, my boy?"

It was then that Midoriya noticed All Might looking at him inquisitively. "Something's troubling you, Young Midoriya," the former No. 1 Hero stated after a few more seconds of silence. "What is it?"

Midoriya gulped at his mentor's question and twiddled his thumbs nervously. "Well, All Might," he began, gazing downward, "I-I've been thinking lately and…well…" He clenched his fists before shouting, "I've been thinking about telling Uraraka about my Quirk!"

There was a deafening silence as Midoriya's statement echoed throughout the room. Midoriya kept his eyes shut, waiting for the impending lecture he was expecting to get. After a few moments of silence, however, he opened his eyes to see All Might with a neutral look on his face.

"I-I mean, I know you said not to tell people about One For All," Midoriya continued, "but I trust Uraraka. I know she can keep a secret and not tell anyone. But then again, I could be putting her life in danger by letting her know about One For All's secret-"

"Young Midoriya."

Midoriya immediately went quiet as he glanced at his mentor. The former hero's face remained neutral as he asked, "You said you trust her, correct?"

"Yeah."

All Might sighed before saying, "If you think that she can be trusted, then tell her. I cannot tell you what to do; you have to decide that for yourself. But I am warning you now, Young Midoriya." The boy gulped as All Might frowned. "Be careful who you reveal this information to. The risk of any villain finding out will grow whenever you tell others about One For All. It will not only endanger you, but those you care about as well." Midoriya only nodded. "Very well," All Might said, his features softening, "if that is all you wish to talk about, then I suggest you get back to your dormitory."

"Y-yes sir," Midoriya said, picking up his backpack.

"Wait." All Might's voice stopped him from opening the door. "Your mother wanted me to tell you to call her when you get the chance. She wants to discuss something with you."

"Um…o-okay," Midoriya said, failing to hide the concern and confusion in his voice. And with that, he left the office.

Some time later, he found himself back at Alliance Heights, where he was greeted by his friends, Uraraka, and Eri. While Iida was busy getting the ingredients for dinner, Midoriya pulled out his phone and sent a message to Uraraka that said:

 _I need to talk to you in private after dinner._

 _Is that alright?_

His gaze turned toward her just in time to see her open her phone and stare at it. Her gaze then met his and she nodded silently before resuming her conversation with Mina and Tooru.

Dinner turned out to be katsudon, sliced tonkatsu cooked with a mixture of eggs and onions and served over a bowl of rice. As the students ate their meal, some also listened in on Eri, who talked about her school day and how the teacher had brought a guinea pig to class. Midoriya, meanwhile, kept his gaze at Uraraka, looking for any signs of worry. But she seemed as calm as ever as she talked to Momo about today's lesson and where she could improve her hero skills.

After everyone had finished with their meals, Midoriya made his way upstairs to his room. He sat on the bed, breathing slowly in order to gather his thoughts. He didn't have to wait long as he heard knocking on the other end of his door. He opened it to reveal Uraraka standing before him.

"H-hi."

"Hi." The two stood in awkward silence until Midoriya moved to the side in order to let her in. When she did, Midoriya locked the door behind them and set himself down on the bed next to Uraraka. "So," she began, "what did you want to talk to me about?"

"W-well," Midoriya began, "the truth is…I…" He paused, unsure of how to tell her. Finally deciding to just rip the figurative band-aid off, he took a deep breath and turned to his girlfriend with a look of determination. "Okay," he resumed, "what I am about to tell you cannot leave this room. The fewer people know, the better. I'm only telling you this because I trust you and I don't want to keep any secrets from you. Okay?"

"O-okay," Uraraka said.

"The truth is…" Midoriya stated once again before looking down at his right hand, "my Quirk…isn't my own."

"Huh?" Uraraka asked in confusion.

Midoriya sighed. "Do you remember All For One, All Might's nemesis?" He waited for Uraraka to nod her head before he continued. "Well, he has the ability to steal other's Quirks and give them away. One day, he decided to forcibly give his seemingly Quirkless little brother, a Quirk that allowed him to stockpile power within his body. What neither of them realized was that the little brother already had a Quirk with no effect other than that it could be transferred to others. His Quirk and the Quirk given to him by All For One merged into one and became One For All." He paused so that Uraraka could take all of that information in.

"Having a deep-seeded sense of justice, the little brother tried to stop All For One, but he ultimately failed. He then decided to entrust One For All to future generations of heroes, hoping that one day, it would be strong enough to stop All For One. As time went on, One For All grew stronger with each user. It was passed on through six users before it was wielded by All Might."

"But," Uraraka said in confusion, "what does all of that have to do with you?"

Midoriya sighed. "Because I'm the current holder of One For All." He heard Uraraka utter a gasp at the revelation. "I was born without a Quirk. My original destiny was to be a nobody, someone whose life meant nothing and would be nothing. For that, I was ridiculed by my fellow classmates, even during middle school." He paused to smile. "Then I met All Might. Originally, he told me that I couldn't be a hero without a Quirk and that there was honor in being a policeman. But then he saw me trying to save Kacchan from a slime monster and he changed his mind. He decided to make me his pupil and the ninth user of One For All. Ever since then, I've been using it as my Quirk."

The words reverberated around the room when Midoriya finished his story. Though he wanted to feel as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders, he still wanted to hear Uraraka talk and ask questions first.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked after what felt like an eternity. "Why are you telling me this now?"

"It's like I said," Midoriya admitted, "I trust you. I also wanted to tell you because I don't want any secrets between us now that we're dating. But," he said while his features saddened, "All Might also warned me that the risk of any villain finding out grows if I tell others about One For All. It would not only endanger me, but those I care about as well." He then looked at Uraraka and said, "And I didn't want anyone I care about to get hurt, especially you, my mom, and Eri."

Midoriya felt a hand grip his; he looked down to see Uraraka holding his hand. He looked back up to see her face. "Wow," she said, "that sure is a lot to take in all at once. Does anyone else know about this?"

"Only a select few." He admitted. "Principal Nezu, Gran Torino, Recovery Girl, All For One, a detective on the police force named Tsukauchi Naomasa, and Kacchan."

Uraraka glanced up at her boyfriend. "Well, I am glad that you told me the truth and that you trust me with this information. But I want you to promise me a few things." She waited for Midoriya to nod before she continued. "First, no more secrets between us. We share everything with each other." Her expression softened. "Second, if something is bothering you, don't be afraid to talk to me about it. I'm your girlfriend; I want to be here for you and help you in any way."

Midoriya smiled. "Sure thing, Ochako. And in turn," he added, "you can talk to me if something is bothering you as well." He waited for her to nod in agreement before moving a strand of hair behind her ear and kissing her. He then felt her lips press against his and her right hand caressing his cheek, which caused him to smile against the kiss. After a while, the two broke apart for air. They smiled before resting their foreheads against each other, not wanting the moment to end.

 _KNOCK KNOCK_

The two jumped at the sound coming from outside the door. "W-who is it?" Midoriya asked.

"Mama? Papa?" Eri's small voice called out. "Are you okay? You've been gone for a while."

Both students sighed in relief knowing it was just Eri and not one of their classmates. "We're okay, sweetie," Uraraka said. "Papa and I were just having a talk. We'll be down in a minute."

"Okay." The response was soon followed by the sound of little feet walking away. Once they faded away, Uraraka and Midoriya both looked at each other and laughed at how freaked out they were at almost being caught.

"Ready to head back downstairs?" Midoriya asked once they had composed themselves. Uraraka nodded, and together they both met up with Eri and the others.

* * *

"Uraraka, Izuku!" Inko said when she saw the two students standing outside her door. "It's so good to see you both!"

"Hi, Mom."

"Hello, Mrs. Midoriya."

Inko hugged her son tightly before hugging Uraraka with equal affection. Midoriya couldn't help but smile at how warmly his mother treated his girlfriend. When he had called her a week ago to tell her about he and Uraraka being together, he thought she would have a panic attack and cry. However, she ended up loving the concept that her son had found someone who loved him for who he was. "I hope you didn't have any trouble getting here," Inko said after she shut the door.

"Not at all," Midoriya said as they made their way to the living room. "We hit a few snags here and there on the train, but we were able to get here no pro-" He paused when he noticed a familiar figure sitting on the couch. "A-All Might?"

"Ah, Young Midoriya, Uraraka," All Might said with a small smile before indicating to the two chairs across from him. "Please, have a seat."

Uraraka and Midoriya both sat down in confusion; they hadn't expected All Might to be here when they had agreed to visit Inko. The three sat in awkward silence while Inko prepared some tea. All Might drummed his fingers on his cane, Midoriya tapped the back of his feet on the floor, and Uraraka occupied herself by glancing away and looking at her surroundings. After a while, Inko returned with said tea and sat down next to All Might while Midoriya and Uraraka both poured themselves a cup.

"Wow, Mrs. Midoriya," Uraraka said after she took a sip, "this tea is really great!"

"Thank you, Uraraka," Inko said, "but it really was nothing." All Might and Midoriya couldn't help but smile at how bashful Inko was. "However," she added, her expression turning serious, "there is a reason I wanted you to come here." She turned to Midoriya and said, "Izuku, there's something I need to tell you. Something I should have told you years ago, but I was too afraid to say it." She then froze in fear, afraid to tell him the truth. It was then that she felt a bony hand rest on her shoulder. She turned to look at All Might, who gave her a small smile of reassurance.

"Izuku," Inko continued once she composed herself, "the truth is…your father isn't working in the States. He's been dead for almost seventeen years." She waited for the words to sink in as Uraraka covered her mouth in shock and Midoriya's eyes widened. Inko breathed deeply before continuing. "He had been called to handle a hostage situation in downtown Tokyo involving a rich CEO's family and a gang of villains. Even though it was a success, he sacrificed himself to save a child from falling debris. Four years later, when you asked me where he was, I couldn't bring myself to tell you the truth. So I fabricated a story that he was off in the States doing hero work."

Silence filled the room as Inko finished her story. All Might wore a neutral expression while Uraraka looked shocked. Midoriya, however, kept his gaze at the ground as he rose from his chair and began to walk towards Inko. It was then that tears began to fall from Inko's eyes.

"I-I'm so sorry, Izuku," she said through her tears. "I-I know I should have told you years ago, but I was too afraid that you'd hate me for lying to you. I understand if you're mad at me and never want to speak to me again and-"

"Mom, it's okay," Midoriya said, causing his mother to look up in surprise. "I get why you lied to me; I was a little kid. I probably would have been more confused if you had told the truth back then. And if I'm going to be honest, I had a feeling that Dad wasn't in the States. I didn't admit it because I wanted you to say it when you felt comfortable." He smiled as he added, "But I could never hate you, Mom; please don't ever think that I would or will."

Inko's eyes soon sprouted fresh tears as she hugged her son. Midoriya hugged her back and soon he began to cry as well. All Might smiled as he looked on at the spectacle before him while Uraraka wiped away her own tears. After a few minutes, the two separated from each other.

"Thanks for telling me the truth, Mom," Midoriya said once he composed himself and had wiped away his tears, "I appreciate it." After a slight pause, he added, "So what else is new?"

"Well, the truth is," Inko said in a more calming manner, "I've actually started dating again."

"Really?" Midoriya asked in surprise. "That's great, Mom; I'm happy for you!"

"Yes, well," Inko said with a smile, "I figured it was time to put myself back on the market since you were living at school."

Midoriya smiled; he truly was happy that his mother was dating someone. His mother was the kindest and most caring woman in the world and she deserved to be with someone who would treat her the same way. It would be weird to see her with someone at first, but as long as she was happy, Midoriya was contented with whomever she was with. "So," he asked after sipping his cup of tea, "who's the lucky guy?"

"Well…" Inko paused as she smiled at All Might and took his hand into hers, which he responded to by squeezing it.

Uraraka, meanwhile, noticed this and let out an audible gasp. "Wow; congratulations to you both!" she exclaimed with joy. "Well, I'm sure you'll both be happy together. Right, Izuku-GAH!" She cried out, for she had seen Midoriya frozen in place as if he had turned to stone, a look of utter shock etched on his face.

"I-Izuku!"

"Young Midoriya!"

"Izuku, my baby, please be okay!"

Midoriya then started shaking violently like a soda bottle that was ready to burst. Knowing what was to come, Uraraka grabbed a nearby book and placed it over her head.

"WAAAAAH!" Midoriya cried out as his tears gushed out like waterfalls. One of the waterfalls landed on the book covering Uraraka while the other ended up on the floor. "M-my mom a-and All M-Might...are dating!" He exclaimed before he gushed out another stream of tears.

Uraraka, meanwhile, looked at Inko and said, "I think he approves."

It took some time to calm Midoriya down. When he had composed himself, he then asked, "So, when did you two start dating?"

"About three weeks ago." Inko said. "I got in contact with All Might to ask how you were faring at school and he asked me if I wanted to join him for a cup of coffee, to which I said yes."

At that moment, All Might turned to Midoriya and said, "Young Midoriya, I want you to know that I am not trying to replace your father. I know that you just see me as your mentor and-"

"All Might," Midoriya said, "it's okay. I know you would never intend to do that. And in all seriousness, I'm happy that you two are dating." He continued with a smile, "I couldn't think of two people who deserve each other more than you two." A cough caused him to turn and see Uraraka give him a questioning look. "I-I mean, besides us, of course." The scene caused All Might and Inko to chuckle.

The rest of the stay was uneventful; Uraraka told Inko what she planned to do once she became a hero, causing Inko to smile in admiration of the girl's desire to help her parents financially. Meanwhile, Midoriya told his mom and All Might about Eri and what she was learning in school. At some point in the conversation, he talked about how Eri was looking forward to seeing her "Grandma" again. Inko blushed at the idea of being called a grandmother so soon.

Soon, it was time for Midoriya and Uraraka to head back to Alliance Heights. After saying their goodbyes, the two students made their way to the street. They turned back and waved at the adults, who smiled at each other and waved back.

Midoriya felt something touch his hand; he looked down to see Uraraka holding it. "I think your mom and All Might make a really great couple." She said while smiling.

Midoriya returned the gesture before squeezing her hand. "Yeah, me too."

* * *

 **And that concludes another chapter of Family Matters. Again, I am so sorry that it took forever to publish. I promise that the next chapter will be released quicker than this one. Kudos to my beta readers RD1042 and Tmalasia. Also, don't forget to favorite, review, and follow for more updates. Until then, this is AnimeFan299110 encouraging you all to go beyond...PLUS ULTRA!**


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